The Rising of Two Heroes, Volume 1
by saturn95
Summary: A long time ago, in a kingdom far, far away, a king has passed away leaving behind his thirty-year reign. Princess Peach and Princess Daisy are left in charge and the evil Bowser begins to intitiate one of his most evil plans ever. Meanwhile, two young adult brothers with a dark childhood will soon find themselves on an epic quest; a story, which until now, has remained a secret...
1. Part 1, Chapter 1

**1**

It was the greatest castle that has ever been built in Mushroom Kingdom's history. Constructed about three years ago, it was a huge, looming majestic structure that could be seen up to thirty uninterrupted miles away. It was constructed in response to the recent victory of the Mushroom Kingdom after a failed invasion by the notorious nemesis in all the land, King Bowser. His recent criminal uprising has raised a new threat to the Mushroom Kingdom; that is, the number of Bowser supporters continued to skyrocket. In effect, Bowser had developed a huge supportive army that would follow every command he commences upon them. As for King Toadstool, it was a different story.

It all started with the death of the Queen Toadstool almost fifteen years ago. The king had become immensely depressed and had thoughts of suicide. Not being able to create a male heir, he knew that he was the last descendent of royalty, besides the fact he has two beautiful princesses to look after. The eldest of two, Peach Toadstool, who just turned eighteen, was also the most elegantly dressed. She usually wears a pink dress and fancy pink shoes which bring emphasis to her long, silky, and healthy blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. The other princess, Daisy Toadstool, was also very gorgeous in her appearance. Though she is only a year younger than her 'stepsister', Daisy also enjoyed making herself look elegant. She preferred gold instead of pink and she had long, beautiful brown hair which pink lipstick would do nothing to enhance her "impressiveness" as she called it. Daisy was too good for that. On the other hand, it seemed that all of the other girls were wearing lipstick to look like her famed stepsister. But she didn't care.

As for their father, he was becoming deathly ill. He was suffering from a severe case of lung cancer, which will undoubtedly kill him in a matter of minutes. Peach and Daisy found themselves standing next to their dying father in the castle infirmary. Both princesses were in tears, though they tried not to cry in front of the king, because it would only make him feel worse. Still, it was hard to hold back their true feelings.

"Peach? Daisy?" said the king in a sick tone.

"Yes?" the two replied.

"I know this may sound repetitive, but please just listen to me for the time I have left."

"We're listening, father." Peach replied.

"I want each of you two to find someone that deserves the honor of taking my place in the throne, someone who has the heart to guide the rest of us to eternal happiness."

"Who?" Daisy asked.

"Someone who is willing to take of you for the rest of your lives." The king replied. "It is only a matter of time before you two must find husbands."

There was a momentary pause, and then the king started to talk again.

"Before I pass away, I must tell you that the cause for my cancer is not natural."

"What do you mean father?" Peach asked suspiciously. "What do you mean it wasn't natural?"

"Someone had given me a toxic pill that promotes the growth of cancer, made from poisonous mushrooms."

"Do you know who gave it to you?" Daisy asked.

"I…I…" the king struggled.

"Who did it?" Daisy asked.

"I…"

Silence.

"Father? Father!" still no response. Daisy checked his wrist, but felt nothing.

"He's gone."

"NOOOOOO!" Peach cried, falling into her stepsister's lap. "He can't be gone! He just can't!"

"It's okay, Peach." Daisy said, trying to calm Peach down. "He's in a happier place now and he'll always watch over us." Daisy felt tears developing in her eyes.

"What are we going to do?" Peach asked.

"I don't know, but we'll just have to do the best we can to take care of ourselves." Daisy said. "It will only be a matter of time before the whole kingdom knows about it."

Toadsworth, the doctor (who was standing with them the whole time), gave both of the depressed princesses a hug, whispering in their ears: "Everything will be alright."

Toadsworth then stood up.

"I will gather everyone in the Mushroom Kingdom and break the news about this tragic loss." As Toadsworth continued, "I don't think they will take it very well, but it's better for them to know about it than wonder about it."

"Thank you." Peach said as Toadsworth walked away from the side of the bed and down the hall to alert everyone to gather in the ballroom. Daisy tried to grab Peach by the hand to convince her to go with her, telling her that there was nothing she could do to bring him back, even if the doctor tried to resurrect him. But Peach was already out of the room, waiting for Daisy to come with her.

While they are walking away in a depressed mood (mostly Peach), the princesses started making funeral arrangements for the great King Toadstool who reigned for over thirty years. As they made their way towards the ballroom, they saw that the doors were being held open by two of the castle's guard toads. There were forty-eight others standing side-by-side along the red carpet, including doctor Toadsworth.

Toadsworth grabbed his horn and blew out a loud noise to make the room very silent.

"Please, toads! Quiet!" he said. "Please welcome Princess Peach and Princess Daisy." All the toads in the room gave their applause as the princesses walked through the doors and onto the center stage.

"Thank you all for coming to this meeting on such a short notice." Peach said. "You are probably asking why you guys are here right now. Well, I have very important news and it is not the good, exciting news that you hear from me, my sister, or my father. The news is about the king himself."

She took a couple of breaths and then started speaking again.

"Our beloved father, King Toadstool has just passed away from lung cancer."

The whole room fell silent as everyone gasped at the shocking news. It was obviously not the news that they had envisioned.

"But even more shocking is the fact that it wasn't an accident. He told me and Daisy just before his death that he had been poisoned after someone gave him a pill made poisonous mushrooms!"

Everyone gasped again, more so than before.

"Therefore, I declare a search party to hunt down whoever's responsible for this unnecessary tragedy! They will pay for their actions!"

The toads started talking and questioning all at once about this tragic occurrence. Peach was quick to silence everyone again.

"Now, all I ask of you guys is a moment of silence to honor our King Toadstool." Everyone joined hands and bowed their heads.

One minute later, after the brief prayer, Peach dismissed the crowd and followed Daisy back upstairs to their bedrooms. Princess Daisy patted Peach on the back and gave her a long hug, telling her that she did the right thing and that 'daddy will always be in her heart'.

But just as the mystery of the king's untimely death became prominent, two new mysteries soon arose. Will anyone travel to the Mushroom Kingdom and help the princesses out? If so, who? And what will be the fate of the Mushroom Kingdom?

* * *

**Hey everyone! Sorry I forgot to talk to you about this when I first uploaded the story. I'm still pretty new to fanfiction, but I'm making some real progress. I just wanted to tell those of you that are reading this that this is my attempt at explaining how the two brothers ultimately became the famous-mustached heroes that we have known for over thirty years. I am pleased that you have taken the time to at least check it out, and for that I thank you.**

**In chapter one, the thing that stands out is the discovery that King Toadstool's death was not natural, but was the result of someone given him a pill that had been crafted from poison mushrooms. But no one is certain as to who's responsible. Nonetheless, both Princess Peach and Princess Daisy are deeply affected by their loss. It seems that they have a mystery on their hands... **


	2. Part 1, Chapter 2

**2**

It was the very next morning and the news of the king's death had since left the entire vicinity in silence. Peach and Daisy have since written letters to every resident that lived within twenty-five miles of the castle, alerting them of the upcoming funeral for the king. Of course, it would have been a very challenging task, had it not been for the help of the many toad helpers that resided in the castle and their sincere willingness to help the two princesses.

Meanwhile, in the nearby capital of Toad Town, along the outskirts of the residential neighborhoods, it was a different situation between two close brothers…

…

"Luigi! Get up, if you can hear me! Let's go get some breakfast!" said Mario, the slightly older of the two. A young man of nineteen, he was also the shorter of the two brothers, and was also very outgoing. He also had the tendency to not miss a meal, even if it was just a slight afternoon snack, and was often known by his brother as the "protector" of the family. This is because in all the years that they have been alive, Mario has always looked out for Luigi before he looked after himself. In physical features, Mario was slightly chubby, though not considered overweight; he has a round nose, sky-blue eyes, and dark brown hair. He also had the ability to run very fast and play every sport at a proficient level. His favorite kind of music to listen to is classic rock and his favorite foods are spaghetti and mushrooms.

Frustrated by his brother's inability to wake up, Mario grabs Luigi by the arm and pulls him off of the couch. After waking up, he responds with a mean glare.

"Mamma mia! What was that for, brother?" Luigi complained. "Couldn't you at least give me time to finish my dream?"

"No." Mario said sternly. Luigi was pissed.

Luigi shares many characteristics with his brother Mario. Like his fraternal brother, he had dark brown hair, blue eyes and a round nose. He also liked spaghetti, though he preferred bagels instead of mushrooms because of their strange texture. However, unlike his brother, Luigi was relatively slim and he also surpassed his brother in height even though he is only slightly younger than him. He is also more mild and calm than his relatively hotheaded brother and preferred new age rather than classic rock as his favorite type of music. He may not be as athletic as Mario, but he can jump higher and farther than him and could run as fast as him. Luigi is also smarter than Mario when it came to mathematics, science, and literature, not to mention complex puzzle-solving and dice games. However, he does have one major downside: phasmophobia, or the fear of ghosts. Otherwise, he is just as brave as Mario.

"When you finally stop having a fit and acting like a chicken," Mario said, "do you want to go to the café to grab breakfast like you usually will do?" Luigi was finally starting to calm down.

"What happened last night?" Luigi asks, almost as if he was never angry in the first place.

"Nothing, you just fell asleep on the couch again." Mario said. "You must be very careful when you a take that sleeping medication!"

"The funny thing though, Mario, is that I did not a take any." Luigi said in a mocking tone. "What's your excuse now?"

"Hmmm…" said Mario. "It seems as though you've a outgrown those pills."

"That's right." Luigi responded. "In fact, I've been off of them for quite a while now."

The room fell silent

"Well, if you want to go eat breakfast, then you must a hurry! I'll go get the mail and we'll take a look at it inside the café."

"Sounds great." Luigi said. "Just let me get in the shower first."

Mario rolled his eyes, knowing how long it takes for his brother to take a shower. On average, it usually takes Luigi around fourteen minutes to clean up because he sings too much.

Mario opened the door and walked outside to see the nice beautiful view while getting the mail. There was a nice cooling breeze from the north, and the sun was shining brightly on the nice grass, the tall green trees, and the distant plains of the dirt that separated the other houses. The mountains had recently been coated with snow, giving the landscape a serene and tranquil feel to it. Mario could not help but stare out into the distance and wish he was out there instead of in the city.

"Ah. Another nice day!" Mario said out loud as he walked toward the mailbox. Just then he spotted Parakarry, the local mailman. He was a short Koopa that wore glasses and was very slow when it came to getting around to other places, which was a typical trait for the Koopas.

"Good morning, Parakarry. How are you today?" Mario said, waving to him. He waved back.

"Good morning to you Mr. Mario," he replied, "I am doing just great giving mail in this wonderful town. How about you?"

"I'm just getting ready to go to the Club 64 to go grab some breakfast. I'm still waiting for Luigi to get ready. Hey, is that mail for us?"

Parakarry examined the stack of enveloped he had in his hand and saw the two that were at the top.

"Why, yes. These do belong to you and your brother. Did you hear about what happened to King Toadstool?" as he starts to frown while he gives Mario the envelope.

"What happened?" Mario asked in a concerned tone.

"The king is dead."

Mario's mood suddenly changed. "What?"

"He died last night in the castle infirmary." Parakarry replied. "He died because of a cancer in his lung or something like that. I wasn't able to hear the whole story!"

Parakarry suddenly fell into tears, for he was unable to hold in his sorrow and disappointment. Mario gave him a hug to calm him down.

"Oh mamma mia, that's terrible!" Mario still shocked about the recent news. "What's going to happen now? After all, he never had a son. Without a son, you can't have a new king!"

"I'm not sure yet," Parakarry responded in less tearful tone, "but I heard that the princesses invited everyone to go to the king's funeral today."

"We will go straight there as we are done eating breakfast" Mario said swiftly. "I hate to leave you like this, but I need to go very soon. I do hope that you feel better."

"I appreciate your kindness." Parakarry said. "See you later."

"You take care." Mario said as he started making his way back up the front steps of the house.

As Mario walked back into the house, he saw Luigi already dressed and acting all excited, unaware of what had just happened. He spotted Mario coming through the front entrance and closing the door behind him.

"Let's go get some spaghetti and bagels." Luigi said as he started for the front door. But Mario suddenly blocked the door.

"What's wrong Mario?" Luigi asked. "Why are you blocking my way?"

Mario sighed. "Well, what if I told you that the town is in jeopardy now."

"Jeopardy?" Luigi questioned. "What do you mean?"

"Just listen to me for a second!" Mario said.

"Why? What happened?"

"The king is dead!"

Suddenly, Luigi had a shocked feeling and started breathing heavily. It was not long before he temporarily lost consciousness and fainted, landing on the floor with a loud THUD!

One minute later…

Mario slapped Luigi across the face and wakes him up. Complaining of a headache, Luigi gets right back up as if he never fainted and continues the conversation.

"What are we going to do now?" he asked.

"We need to get dressed into our black uniforms and go to the funeral." Mario said. "However, we can still go get breakfast at the club 64, because it doesn't happen until later tonight."

"Funeral?"

Mario showed Luigi the envelope and gave it to him. The front of read "OPEN IT". Luigi turned the envelope to the back side and noticed something that was predicted. It had a black stamp on it. He carefully opened it and started reading the letter that was inside. It read:

Dear all residents of Toad Town,

I have some bad news for everyone! I'm afraid that my father is no longer going to be king for the Mushroom Kingdom because of his death. So as a favor I am asking everyone in Toad Town for the king, please come to his funeral today around 6:00. The funeral will take place at that time and then their will be a party in the king's honor at 6:30. We will be looking forward to your arrival. Thank you and hope to see you there. Sincerely,

Princess Peach

"Let's go!" Luigi insisted. Mario nodded his head in agreement as they make their way out the door to the Club 64.

"So what did you dream about last night?" Mario asked as they walked down the street.

"I had a little nightmare about seeing ghosts in many colors all trying to scare me to death." Luigi said. "It all relates back to an incident I had when we were very young, I'm sure you remember that. Don't you? It still scares me to this very day."

"No more watching scary movies like _Nightmare on Elm Street_." Mario replied. "Those movies are way too scary for you; I can only hope you haven't seen all eight of those videos."

"Actually, Mr. Smart One it was called _The Exorcist_, not that movie you're talking about." Luigi paused. "So what did you dream about last night?"

"First of all, it doesn't matter what movie it was, okay. I am just trying to protect you from these dreams." Mario then changed the subject back. "Well, besides being surprised at your nightmares and having the ability to sleep through it, I had a dream that we were super heroes and saving the world, but mostly the princesses at the Mushroom kingdom. We were beating the people that have been beating us up for most of our lives during our school years, and we also got married to the princesses and had kids with them. And then..."

"Let me guess," Luigi suddenly blurted out, "you're going to say that they made us spaghetti and all the other food you can think of right of the top of your head." Mario was stupefied.

"How did you know I was going to say something about food and the parts where we got super powers like fire, flying, and getting stronger from the food that they made us?"

"That is because you always mention about food no matter what it is." Luigi replied. "And I speak of the truth and nothing but the truth."

"Hey, at least it wasn't my fault that you had that nightmare for the last two weeks about your death and something about a famous ghost name King Boo attempting to suck your soul and make you become one of him or a stupid little zombie, or whatever you call that crap." Mario said. "And that is the truth and nothing but the truth."

While Luigi is daydreaming about the Bagel, he became annoyed by his older brother's remarks and gave him the evil – dead eye for being too technical.

Still, Mario and Luigi knew that they were just messing with each other, and that they would protect each other no matter what happens or what the situation is.

As they show up to the front door of the Club 64, Mario opens the door for his younger brother, knowing that he was dying to get his hands on the spaghetti and bagels.

"Thank you Mario" he said.

"Anytime, brother!"

They walked inside and the door shut behind them…


	3. Part 1, Chapter 3

**3**

As the two brothers entered the club, they looked around and saw nothing particularly interesting, just a couple of neon signs in the shape of mushrooms for decorations. There were lots of people, most which were discussing tales of their adventures out to sea as Mario and Luigi eavesdropped on their conversations. They looked over towards the bar area and saw a bartender and a couple of waitresses behind the counter, plus a couple of toads in the kitchen. The two brothers took a table right in front of the stage to get a better view of the entertainers, especially the notorious Chanterelle.

Podley, the bartender and waiter that served Club 64's customers, spotted Mario and Luigi at their table and walked toward them.

"How are you gentlemen doing today?" he asked.

"We are actually doing great. Thank you." Luigi replied.

"Well, that's great to hear. So anyway, welcome to the Club 64. I will be taking care of your orders. Do we want to start off with any drinks and appetizers?"

"Do you guys still have any red wine left?" Luigi asked.

"Yes, we do." Podley responded. "Is that what you would like?"

"Yes, please."

Podley wrote the item in his tablet.

"And anything to snack on while deciding upon your meal?" he asked.

"Yes, can we have some crackers with different varieties of cheese and maybe with some fine grapes?" Luigi asked.

"Absolutely, sir." Podley said. "Is that all?"

"Yes."

Podley recorded Luigi's order and turned towards Mario.

"And for you, sir?"

"I would like to have a glass of red wine as well," Mario said, "and could I get a second glass of water, please?"

"Sure," Podley said. "And for a snack?"

"I'll order the same just my brother here ordered." As he grabs the something of his pocket.

"Alright, I will be right back with your drinks and snacks, shortly." Podley said as he turned around towards the kitchen.

Mario pulled out the envelope and took out the letter from the Princess.

"This might be our lucky chance to make things shine." Mario said. "Lets just hope that no one from our school is going to show up."

"I know, right?" Luigi said as he suddenly sees something. "Talk about school again. Do you see what I see?"

"What?" Mario asked.

Luigi pointed to a man wearing purple pants sitting at the corner of the bar next to a smaller and chubbier man wearing yellow.

"Isn't that your fat ass cousin attempting to sell a butt scratcher to him for a rip off price?"

"Oh, shit!" Mario said. "It's the butt-scratching guy, hide me. I really don't like him at all and if he shows up over here, I am totally screwed." He turned his attention toward the skinny man wearing purple. "By the way, isn't that that your skinny-ass wannabe cousin sitting right next to him wearing black pants?"

"Oh, hell!" Luigi said as he turned right back around. "This isn't good!"

"I know." Mario replied as Podley returned to their table with the appetizers in his hand and the drinks carefully balanced on the other.

"Thank you so much." Mario said as Podley set the stuff down on their table.

"I will be back to check up on you guys for your brunch." Podley said as he went to another table to take someone else's order. Mario took a cracker and put a couple slices of cheese on it, then shoved the whole thing right in his mouth.

Music was suddenly being performed on stage and everyone focused their attention on Chanterelle; the song being performed was a new age title called _Principles of Lust_ by Enigma. Luigi was admiring this music because he had heard the song before. Both brothers watched as Chanterelle sung the lyrics of the song in pure perfection. It was not long after Luigi started daydreaming when the two punk cousins, Wario and Waluigi, showed up at Mario and Luigi's table.

"Well, well, if it isn't my annoying cousin who has always lived up to the reputation as 'the one who will never become a man'." Wario sneered as Waluigi stood right next to him laughing over his degrading remark.

"That's just hysterical, Wario!" Waluigi said. "How about you sell those butt scratchers to them and watch them comb their hair with them!"

Wario and Waluigi went into hysterics while Mario and Luigi gave them vicious glares.

"Oh. If it isn't my dreadfully wimpy cousin, Luigi, the most disgraceful member of the family!" Waluigi said.

He paused for moment, then resumed.

"Are you still scared because those Boo ghosts that came from behind you when we were young?" Waluigi teased. "Huh? Are you?"

"Very funny, Waluigi." Mario said sarcastically, knowing it wasn't funny at all. "You're going to think funny when, one day, me and my brother just so happen to be the famous guys when we become the real heroes and make you guys look like real idiots, especially because of the fact that you're here selling butt scratchers. If you ask me, I find that very humiliating."

Wario's facial expression suddenly turned serious as he started taking in what Mario had just said to him.

"What did you say you little punk?" he demanded.

The room became silent.

"Is it me that we are speaking to a fat ass that never get a girlfriend and a cheater who never wins at anything in life?" Luigi suddenly said.

The other people at the club that were listening laughed, and Waluigi's face became flushed with anger.

"Wow, dude." Mario said to Wario. "Do you need to go to McDonald's and get yourself some double-d's since they fit you and your weight?"

The other people were now in hysterics; even Luigi found himself laughing himself to death.

"That was awesome!" Luigi said, giving his brother a high-five.

Wario and Waluigi were now in attack mode. Mario stood up in an attempt to stand up for him and his brother. But the two evil cousins just pushed them back to their seats.

"Why, you little…" Wario said as him and Waluigi cornered their innocent cousins in the mini family feud. Meanwhile, two new individuals that were described as talking hedgehogs that had recently arrived in the restaurant saw the events that were unfolding before them. They decided to resolve the issue.

"Do you have a problem?" asked the hedgehog with blue fur.

"Yeah! We do." Waluigi replied. "You're in our way! Move it chumps!"

"We don't take remarks like that for answers!" said the other hedgehog, which had black fur. Wario tried throwing a punch, but he missed. The blue hedgehog threw a powerful punch at Waluigi and hit him square in the face, knocking him to the ground.

"The next move you make will be critical." he said as Waluigi immediately scrambled to get up. Both him and Wario immediately fled the restaurant.

"You two will pay for this!" Waluigi shouted as the doors slammed behind them.

Mario and Luigi, who had watched the fight take place, were simply awestruck by what had just happened.

"Wow! Thanks for that save!" Mario said.

"No problem" said the blue hedgehog. "May we sit down with you guys?"

"Why, of course!" Luigi said. The two newcomers sat down in the two extra chairs that lined the table.

"The name is Sonic," said the blue hedgehog ", and this is my friend Shadow. We are two of fastest beings all over the world."

"Nice to meet you two." Luigi said.

"The pleasure is all ours." Shadow said.

"So, what bring you guys here to the Mushroom Kingdom?" Mario asked.

"We were traveling around and heard rumors about the death of your king, besides the little episode between you and your cousins. You two obviously have something that they don't have, and that is heart."

"That's definitely true!"

"Do you guys know exactly what happened?" Luigi asked.

"The only thing we know is that there is no longer a king because he died from cancer inside his lungs." Shadow said. "The town is in a major jeopardy because of that." He pulls out a familiar-looking envelope. "We have received a letter that contains an invite to King's funeral today around six o' clock that was written by the princesses of the Mushroom Kingdom."

"That is exactly what we have too." Luigi said. "The exact same thing was given to us! By the way, do you guys want to have brunch with us?"

"Sure!" Sonic said. "Crap! I forgot my wallet! I'll be back."

"Okay." Mario said. Suddenly, a stream of blue was seen zipping out of the restaurant. Then, almost instantly, the blue stream rushed toward the table and Sonic reappeared, holding his wallet in his right hand.

"Wow! Way too fast!" Mario said. "You weren't kidding about being one of the fastest beings in this world! So, you got the same letter from the princess then?"

"I heard that there were two princesses." Sonic said.

"Really?" Luigi asked,

"Yes, two of them. Princess Peach and a Princess Daisy." Shadow replied. "I thought you would know that!"

"This is miracle. I can't wait to see them." Luigi said as Podley was seen walking back to the table.

"I am ready to take your orders, so who wants to start?"

"I will start by having some kangaroo meat, at least two pounds, with a nice salad and a glass of cranberry juice." Sonic said, handing him the menu.

"And for you, sir?" Podley asks.

"I'll go next and have a cheeseburger with a couple slices of bacon, a nice big salad, and a glass of Mountain Dew." Shadow said, also handing Podley his menu.

"Oh yeah. I would like some spaghetti with meatballs on top and at least 3 slices of bagels." Luigi said. "Could I also have another refill of wine?" as he gives his menu to him.

"Of course, sir. I will get that to you shortly." Podley replied. "And how about you?

"I will also have spaghetti, but instead with a nice salad with a piece of chocolate frost cake." Mario said.

"Excellent! Your food should be ready within the hour. I will bring it to you guys when it's done cooking."

"Thank you, sir." Mario responded as Podley walked back to the kitchen. Sonic looked over to the two brothers.

"I never caught your names." he said. "Who are you guys?"

"I am Mario, and this is my little brother Luigi." Mario said. "Although technically we are around the same age."

"Nice."

"There's something else I just remembered hearing about the king." Shadow said, changing the subject. "It's rumored that his death wasn't an accident."

"What do you mean?" Luigi asked.

"I heard that someone had deliberately murdered him by giving him a pill that enhanced his cancer." Shadow replied.

"A pill?" Mario questioned.

"Yes, a toxic pill. The king supposedly told the princesses this before he passed. Now they're trying to figure out who's responsible."

The table went silent.

"Well, since you guys are headed to the funeral as well, do you want to walk with us to the party tonight?" Mario asked.

"We always enjoy company, of course we'll go!" Shadow said as he smiled.

It was about another half hour before the food came. The four friends immediately started drooling.

"Oh look, here comes our food boys! I guess I am paying up, or are you Sonic?" Mario asked as he put down twenty-five gold coins.

"Yeah, I guess I put in my fair share."

"You don't have to, though." Mario said. "I can't thank you guys enough for what you did to save us from our evil cousins."

"We already know that you guys appreciate what we did for you." Sonic said. "I insist on paying for half of it, just to be nice."

"I couldn't ask for more." Mario said, taking half of his money back.

As Podley puts all the food on the table. The four hungry friends immediately started snarfing on their meals, as if there was no tomorrow. After they were full, they started their journey to the castle.

* * *

**There's no one else in the world that Mario and Luigi hate more than their mean and demented cousins Wario and Waluigi. As a way of bringing them down, Wario and Waluigi make fun of the brothers by claiming that they are unfit for manhood, particularly poor Luigi (because he always sticks by his brother). ****Sonic and Shadow, who were visiting the Mushroom Kingdom as a result of its recent tragedy, saw the events unfold inside Club 64 and were literally quick to stop the feud. It was soon after that the brothers and hedgehogs became friends.**

**This really demonstrates how hard life is for Mario and Luigi. They don't seem to have anyone else to look up to and (as far as the story is concerned) they lost much of their self confidence long ago. Sonic and Shadow seemed to help curve this trend as they chased Wario and Waluigi out of the restaurant.**


	4. Part 1, Chapter 4

**4**

Meanwhile, under another castle, King Bowser and his secret council of Koopa Troops gathered together for a secret meeting. Many of the council's members were former supporters of the Mushroom Kingdom - traitors that were drawn to the dark side by means of revenge against King Toadstool for past criminal sentences. All in all, the meeting's purpose was obviously not for good intentions.

Bowser's meeting room was not very cozy. The walls were made of stone, along with much of the furniture such as the chairs and giant table. There was but a single large lamp hanging from the ceiling, but no light switch because it was a clapper. The only luxury in the room was the pool table, which was hardly at use even on the weekends and holidays.

As Bowser at down in his chair at the end of the long meeting table, he signals everyone in the room to quiet down by making a forceful hand gesture. Then, he began to speak.

"My fellow Koopas." He began in a dark tone. "I have called all of you in here to make an important announcement. Now, before I go on telling what it is, I must remind all of you that this may determine the fate of our alliance; whether we perish or prosper depends on our ability to act as soon as possible."

He paused and made a slight cough, then continued.

"Well, as you all know, King Toadstool has had lung cancer for quite some time now and has been in critical condition. Today, I have received word from my long-time caretaker, Kamek that he has just passed away yesterday evening after the cancer became too great for him to control on his own."

"Why exactly is this announcement so important, sir?" one of the Koopa Troops asked. "Does it even matter whether the king is dead or not?"

"That's like asking whether you should or should not eat to stay alive!" Bowser yelled. "Of course it matters! Does anyone here in this room remember why it would be so important for the king to be dead rather than for him to still be alive? Anyone?"

The room went completely silent. Bowser moaned in an irritated tone.

"Alright, boneheads! Let me refresh your memory. Since the king has died and there has yet to be an inauguration for a new king, it is the perfect opportunity for us to overthrow the Mushroom Kingdom and take it in our hands and conquer it!"

Everyone started nodding their heads in agreement.

"And because the king has no son that gives us an even greater advantage!" Bowser added.

Everyone was now in agreement, and Bowser had proven his point.

"Another question arises, sir." said another Koopa. "How are we going to overthrow the Mushroom Kingdom and when?"

The room was silent again as everyone started thinking about the question. Bowser was quick to respond.

"The two princesses are having a huge celebration tonight in honor of King Toadstool and his achievements throughout the years." Bowser said. "That being said, I think tonight would be the best time to put our plan into action."

"What plan do we have?" said another troop at the other end of the giant table. "What are we going to do to initiate our invasion?"

"That I did not have to think over." Bowser said. "Damn it! I wish you never brought that up!"

Bowser remained quiet for another minute or two, and then he finally thought of something.

"Okay, you know how I said that the king didn't have any sons to take his role as king? The only royalty that's left is the two princesses. That being said, I think the best thing that we can do is kidnap the two princesses during their party!"

The other Koopas were thrilled at Bowser's evil plan.

"That's very excellent, sir!" said another Koopa. "Why haven't you thought of that sooner?"

"I'm not sure." Bowser replied. "But I'm very certain that this plan will work. The only way that it would fail is if someone came and rescued the princesses and bailed them out while I have them in captivity."

"Like anyone would be brave enough to do that!" said another Koopa. Everyone inside the chamber went into hysterics.

"The last time we ever saw something like that happen was…actually, that has _never_ happened at all!" Bowser said, making himself go into hysterics. Finally, he was able to calm down and continue explaining his strategy.

"Okay, here's the plan." He began. "We begin our journey to the heart of the Mushroom Kingdom to the city of Toad Town, preferably by airship, since it's much faster than by regular foot travel. Once we reach the castle, we will carefully maneuver ourselves past the guards and travel through the secret entrance below the castle and emerge into one of the hallways. From there, it's a matter of where the princesses will be located. Once we find them that will be our chance to kidnap them. If we can avoid any attention whatsoever from anyone else, no one will suspect us and we will have a much better chance of winning the kingdom over. Does everyone understand the plan?"

"I have a question." said one of the Koopa troops. "How did you find out so much about the layout of the castle?"

"Well, soldier," Bowser said, "I was able to steal the blueprints for the castle during its construction almost four years ago. No one even knew I was there, because I had disguised myself as a foreigner and they thought I was just one of the people that worked there. Any other questions?"

The room went silent again.

"This meeting is now over." Bowser said. "Prepare the airships! We will be heading towards the Mushroom Kingdom in less than twenty minutes!"

Everyone exited the room and headed for the airship launching area to get ready for what would become the most ingenious evil plan to rock the Mushroom Kingdom in recorded history…

* * *

**Bowser has just announced to his troops that the king has died. However, there is no indication that he was behind his death and that it was part of his evil plan. However, he does remain an obvious suspect. He was supposedly at the king's castle when it was being constructed, but disguised as a foreigner. But does that mean he murdered the king? After all, he probably could've destroyed the castle if he really wanted to. But he didn't...**


	5. Part 1, Chapter 5

**5**

Princess Peach found herself standing inside of her elaborately decorated bedroom, located at the top of the castle's central tower, which was also the tallest. Her father's death had taken a major toll on her, for she was becoming ever increasingly depressed, just like her father had been after the death of her mother. She was now a lonely orphan, with only her stepsister to keep her company and to keep her from committing a potential suicide. She immediately dropped the knife she was holding in her hand as Daisy walked into the room.

"Peach! What the hell are you trying to do to yourself?" Daisy shouted as she ran over to her sister.

"It's nothing that concerns you!" Peach screamed as she started bawling.

"What are you talking about? Of course it does! I'm your stepsister, aren't I?" Daisy asked.

Peach gave her a long stare, and then turned around to face the window.

"Peach, look at me!" Daisy said. "I know you're disappointed about dad's death. I'm also very disappointed, don't get me wrong. But suicide isn't the right answer for solving your loss!"

"I can't go on living like this!" Peach shouted. "I don't want to be all by myself for the rest of my life!"

"You won't be, Peach! Aren't you forgetting about me?" Daisy said. "We're supposed to look after each other."

Peach continued to cry as tears started rolling down her face like a flash flood in the middle of a desert. She slowly walked over to her dresser, next to her large gold-framed mirror and picked up a small white box with a wind up key. Daisy watched as Peach turned the key and made the box open to play a special musical tone. It was _Silent Night_, a very popular Christmas song.

"That's the music box father made us when we were only toddlers." Daisy said. "I remember when he gave it to us on Christmas Eve right after the sun went down played it until we fell asleep next to the Christmas Tree. Do you remember when we woke up that very next morning and saw huge stacks of gifts under the tree that were never there before then? That was the best Christmas ever. Remember that, Peach?"

"I will always remember that day." Peach said, wiping the tears from her face, though still immensely depressed. "I think of dad every time I play this box. He spent so much time making this for us, almost eleven months."

"He did all of that work because he loved us so much." Daisy said. "He was almost like a father and a grandfather mixed into one person."

Peach started to cry some more.

"Things just won't be the same without him, Daisy." Peach sobbed. "What are we going to do with our lives? I can't imagine sitting in this castle for the rest of my life and not be a part of anything! The Mushroom Kingdom will collapse anytime soon!"

Daisy went over to Peach and hugged her to clam her down.

"It's okay, Peach." Daisy said in a calm, soothing voice. "We'll figure something out. Dad would have lots of confidence for us right now. He knows that we can become strong independent women if we just follow our gut instinct."

"We have to find husbands soon." Peach said. "I'm not sure if I'm ready to take on such a commitment, Daisy. It seems like so much."

"Yes, I know. But it's for the kingdom's sake. We pretty much live in a democratic-republic and patriarch monarch society."

"If only women were allowed to rule unassisted by men." Peach said. "Maybe that will change someday."

"That would be amazing!" Daisy said. "Perhaps if you marry a husband that would be willing to change that rule, maybe it will become a reality."

"The question is who should I marry?" Peach asked. "There are hardly any other humans in this town; they're mostly Toad people!"

"True." Daisy said.

"Daisy?" Peach asked. "Do you ever get the feeling that something bad and unexpected will happen to us in the near future?"

"What do you mean, sis?"

"Because, recently I've the uneasy feeling that someone is watching me and wants to take me away from here and keep me trapped for the rest of my life."

"Oh, Peach! Who would do such a thing?"

"I don't know, Daisy. But I just have a very awful feeling. It's almost like I'm going paranoid."

"Oh, sis. If I were you, I would be looking forward to the party this evening." Daisy said. "Maybe you'll find a very cute man there and fall in love with him. With all the excitement that will be going on this evening, who knows what will happen."

"What do you mean?" Peach asked. Daisy only gave her a suggestive smile.

"Daisy!" Peach laughed. "That's sick! Why would I ever get that intimate with a guy on our first date? That's just wrong."

"Come on, Peach!" Daisy said. "You know you want it to happen!"

Peach could not help it. She started to giggle over Daisy's comment. She seemed to feel better.

"I'm kidding, Peach!" Daisy said. "Don't ever let that happen. It wouldn't be lady-like."

"I know." Peach responded. "I was laughing just think about it. I should probably find something to wear to the party; I already have my funeral dress picked out."

Peach and Daisy walked over to the giant wardrobe and opened the giant wooden doors revealing all of its contents, mostly dresses and shoes. Peach found two that she liked pulled them out of the wardrobe.

"Okay, Daisy. Do you think I should wear this one?" Peach holds out the pink dress laced with shiny silver silk. "Or do you think I should wear this one?" Peach holds out the other dress, which was mainly navy blue with a little bit of regular blue around the sleeves and neck hole.

"I think the pink dress would make you look more bright and cheery." Daisy said. "Plus it matches your personality more."

"You think so?"

"Of course! I wouldn't lie to you."

Peach smiled and put the blue dress back in the wardrobe, then pulled out a silver dress.

"Okay, now which one looks better?" she asked.

"I still think pink matches your personality." Daisy said. "But I'm curious what that silver dress looks like on you. I've never seen you wear that one before. Where did you get it?"

"I got this when I went shopping with my friends in Toad Town." Peach said. "It was ninety percent off on clearance!"

"Wow! How much did it come to?" Daisy asked.

"Just twenty gold coins. I'm going to go try it on. I'll be right back."

Peach walked out of the room and Daisy sat on the bed, starring out the window and into the beautiful scenery as the afternoon sun shone brightly on the green lawn that surrounded the castle.

_It's going to be a clear night tonight_. Daisy thought to herself. _Dad would've liked to have been able to go outside tonight. He always loved the night_.

Just then, Peach entered the room with her new silver dress.

"That looks very good on you, Peach!" Daisy said. "I think I've changed my mind on what you should wear tonight."

"So you think I should wear this dress?" Peach said.

"Yes." Daisy replied. "You should wear it."

"Alright, now I don't have to worry about what I should wear tonight. I have now made my decision. I'll go change back into my casual pink for the time being."

Peach walked out of the room again and was back within a few minutes. She felt much better. The only thing that she did not look forward to was the funeral.

"Daisy, do you want to get a nice cup of hot tea from the kitchen?"

"Sure," she replied, "what flavors are there?"

"There's apple, green apple, cinnamon, orange, lemon, lime, pomegranate, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, grape, currant, huckleberry, plum, pineapple, mango, papaya, and kiwi."

_So many choices_! Daisy thought.

"How much raspberry tea is left?" she asked.

"There's still some left, though I don't think there will be enough to satisfy both of us." Peach said.

"I think I'll have some pomegranate tea for a change." Daisy said. "You can have the rest of the raspberry."

"Are you sure?" Peach asked. "Because, if you want, I can give you the rest of the raspberry if you really want it."

"No, that's fine." Daisy said. "You have the rest. You've gone through a lot of depression already. I don't want to steal the rest of your favorite flavor of tea."

"How kind of you, Daisy." Peach said. "I'm lucky to have a stepsister like you. You never put me down and you always think of others and not just yourself."

Daisy smiled as they both exited the bedroom and down the spiral staircase to the main floor and the castle's fancy kitchen.


	6. Part 1, Chapter 6

**6**

"So, you guys are also here for the king's funeral?" Mario asked Sonic as the four made their way to the castle.

"That's right, why do you ask?" Sonic replied.

"Well, there's still one question that I have still yet to ask you. Where exactly do you guys come from?"

"We come from a faraway place known as the Emerald City."

"Where exactly is that?" Luigi asked. "I've heard a lot of great things from the toad people that vacation there. Like, for instance, the weather is usually very nice over there, very similar to the tropics."  
"You'd be right about that." Shadow said. "It's actually not as far as you think. I wanna say maybe around five hundreds south of the Mushroom Kingdom at its closest point."

"It only took us probably around thirty seconds to run from there to here." Sonic said, adding on to the conversation.

"Wow! That is way too fast!" Mario said. "Talk about great airship time and zero airship fees!"

Mario and Luigi chuckled at the comment, though Sonic and Shadow were slightly amused as well.

"How is it that you two run very fast and manage to find yourself around difficult obstacles without killing yourselves?" Luigi asked.

"Well, it's very difficult to explain," Sonic said, "but it all has to do with fast thinking and extreme awareness of your surroundings."

"Is it similar to hand-eye coordination?" Mario asked.

"Yes, very much so." Shadow said. "You could even say that they're pretty much the same concept."

As the four friends continued their way up the green hills to the large castle, it was clear that they were there early. It would be a while before the other guests would show up, not to mention even longer before they would be able to eat again. Luigi's stomach was already starting to growl and Mario was even hungrier still. The hedgehogs, on the other hand, were still moderately full from brunch, despite the ability to burn off extra calories quickly through their amazing running abilities.

The warm afternoon sun was enough to make the friends sweat slightly, though it was mainly because of the walking. But Mario had other things going through his head.

"I wonder what the princesses will look like." Mario said out loud. "I cannot wait to see them!"

"I would think that you would already know what they look like." Sonic said. "After all, you do live in the Mushroom Kingdom, right?"

"Well, yes." Mario said. "We live on the outskirts of Toad Town."

"Have you lived here through out your life?" Shadow asked.

Mario thought about that that when he suddenly had a huge flashback.

"He doesn't remember everything that happened in our childhood that well." Luigi said. "But, if he doesn't mind I'll explain on how we got here. When we were born our parents actually died. Mother died at our birth while dad committed suicide right after we were born but I don't know why he did it. I'm pretty sure that it had to do with him not having the will to live on without his wife."

"I'm so sorry to hear that." Sonic said. "I'm very sorry."

"It's fine, really." Luigi said. "Ever since then, Mario has been taking care of me, even when we were taken in by a couple of foster parents while we were young in Toad Town. But when the huge war broke out between Bowser and the Mushroom Kingdom ten years ago during the attack on Toad Town, a couple of enemy troops came to the front door and killed our foster parents on the spot. We didn't find them until me and Mario came out of our hiding spot in the closet and saw them laying there dead in a pool of blood."

By this point, Mario and Luigi started to become emotional as tears started welling up in their eyes.

"That memory still haunts me to this day." Mario said, trying to hold back his tears. "I can't bear to think of such gory events! It was awful!"

"I agree, brother." Luigi cried. "Where did everything go so wrong?"

Sonic was now starting to feel the awful details go through his mind. He was now full of sorrow and sadness, so much in fact that he started to tear up himself. Luigi fell to the ground and wept, as did Mario, who was trying to make his slightly younger brother feel more at ease. Then, Shadow started to speak.

"Well, it looks like Mario is considered the man of the family while you are being such a pansy." he said to Luigi.

Mario heard this and suddenly turned from depressed with sadness and became flustered with anger.

"What that suppose to mean?" he said as he gave Shadow an angry look, the kind that Luigi gives him whenever he is mad.

"All I'm saying is that your little brother needs to start living on his own and grow up like a real man" Shadow said. "He needs to get away from the past and continue on with the present."

"Well, in case you weren't listening to what Luigi was talking about, me and my little brother have been through a lot of pain throughout our whole lives. We've experienced so much trauma and sadness, we've been picked on by almost every one of our classmates during our school years, and you've already seen that we have family members that treat us like a sack of Yoshi mess. I don't know what the hell you think you're up against, but what you said was very hurtful, both to me and my brother, and it didn't make us feel any better about ourselves and what we've missed out throughout our childhood right up until we became young adults. So please, just cut us some freaking slack and treat others the way you want to be treated!"

"He has a point there." Sonic said. "If I were you, I would apologize and make up for what you've said to these poor fellows. You should be ashamed of yourself! That's no way to make an impression after what happened back at the restaurant!"

"Well, at least none of you were produced in a laboratory!" Shadow suddenly shouted. The two brothers gasped.

"You were what?" Luigi said.

"Listen, I'm sorry for what I've said to you guys. I never intended to say any of those awful things." Shadow said. "But thing is, I've never had any parents, _ever_. The only thing I've ever had to watch over me was heavy, cold, brainless machinery! My history is just as dark as yours and I become cold every time I think about my past."

"Wow. I can't imagine anything like that." Mario said, wiping away his tears. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"We feel your pain." Luigi said. "What about you, Sonic? Did you suffer any major childhood trauma?"

"Quite frankly, no." he replied. "But it's sad to hear about what you guys went through. I wish I could help you guys get better."

"The only think that will make me feel better would be getting to the castle and having our names checked off the list." Shadow said. "Let's not forget about those princesses either! Remember, their going through the same thing we've already gone through. Except you, Sonic."

_The princesses_. Mario thought. _I want to know what they look like already_!

Luigi was having similar thoughts.

After a few moments, the two brothers started to calm down and relax as the thoughts of the princesses continued to 'invade' their mind.

"Come on, you two!" Sonic said. "They're waiting…"

Mario and Luigi found themselves laughing out of nowhere, because they knew what Sonic said was true, but at the same time it also produced rather hilarious scenarios in their heads of what could happen later that night. They could only wish that something like that would happen.

"I think the sooner we continue moving to the castle, the sooner we can get there and meet the princesses!" Mario said. "Let's go!"

"Right behind you, brother!" Luigi said.

"I'm ready whenever you guys are!" Sonic said.

"Same here." Shadow said. "No more drama for us!"

"Okay, just zip it, Shadow. I don't want to hear any more, because I've heard enough." Sonic replied.

"What? That wasn't even offensive!" he said.

"Uh huh."

The four friends continued their way down the stone pathway that would eventually lead them through the castle's front garden and the giant bridge across the moat leading to the front entrance. It would only be a matter of time before they would be inside the castle and hopefully meet up with the two princesses before the funeral. Mario and Luigi were certain that whoever was responsible for the king's death, it had left a huge scar on the princesses, just like the drama they experienced on that fateful day over a decade earlier.

* * *

**Mario and Luigi have revealed that they had a dark past. We've now learned that their parents had died during their birth and that they were given to a foster family, which was murdered by Bowser's forces ten years earlier. Also, it was mentioned that the brothers were bullied in school, which didn't help them out at all growing up.**

**The fact that Shadow is rude to Luigi (calling him a pansy for sticking next to his brother) reveals a lot about his personality. He doesn't seem to fully understand their situation and therefore doesn't want anything to do with it. He seems too upset about his own life story. Sonic on the other hand, despite never dealing with intense childhood trauma, is respectful and tries to make the brothers feel better.**


	7. Part 1, Chapter 7

**7**

The castle's front garden was enormous. Giant maple trees were seen lining the stone trail as far as the trail went. Beautiful white daisies and yellow daffodils decorated the outline of the path and medium-sized trees loaded with ripe peaches which were being picked out in the nearby harvesting yard, located beyond the stony path in front of the castle and out in the grassy field. Mario wanted to just go up to one of the trees and pick out one of the peaches, considering how hungry he was. But he knew that it would be rude and would also be considered a public violation.

"So this is where our city's supply of peaches comes from?" Luigi asked.

"That's right, brother." Mario said. "It all comes from this very location. Just imagine how many peach pies that we can make out of that fruit!"

"That's a lot of pie!" Luigi said.

Overhead, the castle was looming high and majestic into the azure blue sky. As the four friends got closer to the front entrance, they observed a large stained-glass mosaic window that depicted a lady wearing a pink dress and had blonde hair. It was the most elaborate window that any of the four friends have ever seen, and was obviously a unique feature to the castle.

Turning their attention away from the giant stained glass window, the four friends crossed the stone bridge above the moat and walked up to the front door where a Toad man guarded the front door and carried with him a giant roll of paper, the list of guests for the funeral and celebratory party.

"Names, please." said the Toad man in a somewhat demanding tone, but no way to be rude.

"Mario." said Mario, being the first in line. The toad went down the giant list and located his name.

"There you are!" he said. "You may enter, sir."

"Thank you."

Luigi was next to being checked off.

"You also may enter." said the Toad man.

"Thank you, sir." Luigi said.

Sonic and Shadow soon followed behind and met with the two brothers just right inside the door. They then followed the red carpet down the granite hall.

"We're in the castle, you guys!" Sonic said. "And, we still have about three and a half hours until the funeral."

"I know," Luigi said, "we're way early."

"That's alright though." Mario said. "It's not like we're required to be right on time."

"Yeah," Shadow said, "but I know the real reason why we're early…you just want to get your hands on…"

"Dude, would you just shut up already?" Luigi said. "Your attitude is just a major mood killer!"

"I concur." Mario said.

Shadow said nothing after that, for he was no longer willing to dig himself into a deeper hole and become the bad guy of the group.

The four friends walked down the hall and entered into a huge fancy foyer with huge crystal chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling. The floors appeared to be made of tiled and polished black and white granite slabs and the stairway banisters were evidently golden as the light from the chandeliers reflected off the metallic surfaces of the posts. There were also huge magnificent paintings hanging on the stone walls, depicting kings from earlier eras and dynasties of the Mushroom Kingdom, when it was a much more peaceful and forgiving place. A statue of King Toadstool was placed at the center of the room, tying all of the various elements into one beautiful masterpiece. To top it all off, there were also four square-shaped skylights on the ceiling, which let in much of the natural light that was coming from outside. The four friends were stupefied and entranced by the shear architecture of the room. Then, another Toad man came up to them.

"Welcome to the castle, gentlemen." he said. "I see that you are admiring the foyer."

"I've never been anywhere this fancy before." Sonic said. "It's just amazing to look at."

"Perhaps you gentlemen would like to take a tour sometime?" said the Toad man. "By the way, my name is Toad."

"Could we take a tour of the castle right now?" Mario asked.

"Well, I'm afraid the tours are closed today, because of the recent events that have taken place here. I'm sure you guys already know what I'm talking about."

"Yeah," Luigi said, "but do they know what caused the king's deadly lung cancer?"

"No one knows for sure." Toad said. "Some think it might've been one of the people here in the castle, but no one seems to be willing to provide any information to the authorities. Personally, I don't know anyone here who would do any such thing to the king, because everyone here respected him greatly."

"How are the princesses taking all of this in? Are they alright?" Mario asked.

"Well, they're obviously very upset about it, as you would imagine. After all, we're talking the death of their father here! It's been very rough over here though. Everyone is in a huge panic because with no king, there will be guaranteed economic collapse. There's even talk about inaugurating two new kings, where if one king dies, then the other will take over. It's just a huge ugly unexpected mess that everyone isn't enjoying at the moment. Just awful the way it played out…"

"Oh yes, we understand." Mario said.

"Say, are there any refreshments available here?" Sonic asked. "We're really hungry."

"Not until after the funeral." Toad said. "However, there is a free tea dispenser in the castle's main dining hall located near the kitchen. That's about the only refreshment we have available at the moment, other than water of course."

"I think that should do us until dinner." Shadow said. "We're not in too big of a rush."

"Where exactly is the kitchen?" Luigi asked.

"I'll show you guys where it is." Toad said. "Just follow me."

Toad led the four friends to another hall that branched away from the foyer until they reached a golden archway leading into a large dining area. There were three large dining tables all lined up end-to-end across the room with beautiful white table cloths and expense silver and golden dinner plates and eating utensils. There were also many booths that lined the edge of the room and another large crystal chandelier was seen hanging from the ceiling as well. The kitchen was located just beyond another golden archway at the other end of the room, but it was dark and empty at the moment, so it hard to make out any details.

"This is where all of our guests will be eating and drinking." Toad said. "I must warn you though. Some of the people here can get really carried away with their alcoholic beverages."

"I can agree to that." Mario said. "My fat cousin is a perfect example of such a person! Not to mention my brother's skinny yet devious cousin."

"You mean Wario and Waluigi?" Toad said. "I think I remember seeing their names on the list, but I can't be sure."

_Oh no!_ Mario thought ruefully. _I sure hope they don't show here, otherwise we'll be screwed!_

"So where is the tea dispenser?" Sonic asked.

"Oh, that's right! It should be over there next to the two large booths over there." Toad said, pointing to the other end of the room. "There are also some sugar packets in a small cup holder over there in case you need some."

"Thank you so much, sir!" Luigi said.

"You're welcome. If you guys have any more questions, feel free to ask me. I'll be over by the front entrance greeting other guests."

"Sounds good." Mario said. "Thanks!"

"I'll see you guys later!" Toad said as he walked out of the room.

The four friends walked over to the tea dispenser and each grabbed a small tea cup to use for their drinks.

"I know I shouldn't be drinking any of this," Shadow said, "But I guess it'll just have to slip by this time."

"Why can't you drink any tea?" Luigi asked.

"He gets on really huge sugar kicks whenever he drinks anything with sugar in it." Sonic said. "Once you give him sugar, he won't calm down for another hour."

"Well, then don't use any sugar packets!" Luigi said. "After all, tea just by itself has no sugar."

"Luigi." Mario said.

"What is it big brother?" he asked.

"Look over there and tell me if you see what I see." Mario said, pointing over back to where they came from."

Luigi looked over and saw two beautifully dressed ladies walking over to where they were standing and immediately froze. One of them was wearing a pink dress and had long blonde hair; the other was wearing gold and had long brown hair. But more importantly, both girls were wearing crowns on top of their heads!

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Mario asked, giving Luigi a nudge on the arm and a wink.

"Yeah." Luigi said. "Those must be the princesses!"

While Sonic and Shadow just rolled their eyes, Mario and Luigi were caught into an inescapable trance when observing the two princesses. They were starting to fall in love with them…who knew that anything like this would happen at a funeral? Not Mario and Luigi!

* * *

**The layout of the castle is based upon Super Mario 64, particularly the giant stained glass window. Even the inside of the castle is similar, especially the main foyer with the tiled floor and the stairs. The chandeliers and golden banisters were added in by me, along with the statue of King Toadstool and the dining area. The idea of the paintings was also inspired by Super Mario 64.**


	8. Part 1, Chapter 8

**8**

"Who are those guys?" Peach whispered.

"Who? Them?" Daisy said. "The two hedgehogs and the two men?"

"Yeah." Peach said.

"I'm not sure, Peach." Daisy said. "But the two men look kind've attractive. Actually, _very_ attractive. I think they might be brothers!"

"I say." Peach said. Peach glanced back over and saw that they were glancing over in their general direction.

"Daisy, hide me!"

"What's the matter?"

"I can't let them see me!"

"Relax, Peach. They aren't going to judge how you look. Guys don't do that! Especially to us!"

"Should we go over there?" Peach asked.

"Well, don't just stand there! Go!"

"They're coming this way!"

The two brothers started making their way over to the princesses when Mario suddenly stopped in his tracks and grabbed Luigi by the shoulder. Sonic and Shadow had since seated themselves at one of the tables.

"What is it, brother?" he asked.

"Before we go over there, how about we offer the girls a cup of tea, just to be nice?" Mario said.

"I agree."

The two men turned around and went back to the tea dispenser to get tea cups for the princesses. Mario gets one cup of raspberry tea and found that the raspberry packets were gone. When luigi went to get a cup, he noticed that there was only one flavor left, _pomegranate_. So he grabbed the last packet and kept it so he could give it to one of the princesses…

"Are you two getting enough tea?" said a female voice.

The brothers turned around and saw the two princesses standing right there. Luigi froze as his heart started to race out of control. Instantaneously, Mario's brain went blank and he did not know what to say. He desperately tried to think of the right thing to say, but it was too late.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the most two beautiful women that I've have ever seen in my life."

"Excuse me?" said one of the princesses.

"Well, uh….well I…"

Mario knew that he was making a fool of himself by trying to correct what he said, but somehow the princesses did not take it as an offense. Instead, they were laughing hysterically at Mario's comment. Mario blushed.

"Pardon me. My brother is just tired from getting up early this morning." Luigi said, covering up his brother's shameful first impression. "I'm Luigi, and this is my brother Mario. We're here to attend the king's funeral."

"Well, it's a great pleasure that you were able to make it!" said the dark-haired princess. "I'm Daisy. This is my sister Peach. I'm sure you already knew that."

"Hello." Peach said. "You guys certainly made it here early! I take it you don't live very far from here."

"We just live down the street in the nearby suburbs." Mario said.

"I see." Peach said. "What happened to all of the tea packets?"

"There were only two flavors when we came here." Luigi said. "Mario just took the last raspberry packet and was going to offer it to one of you. I was also hoping to offer one of you a cup of tea, but I don't know if either of you like pomegranate."

"Why, yes we like those flavors." Daisy said. "I personally love the pomegranate flavor, mainly for the sweet and sour taste. How about you?"

Luigi gave her the tea cup and the packet of tea flavoring mix.

"I usually don't drink tea a whole lot, because I drink red wine a lot. But when I do I usually like to have the pomegranate flavored kind."

"Really? You're just saying that!" Daisy said in a fun sarcastic tone.

"No, I'm serious. Pomegranate has always been my favorite." Luigi said.

"Well, that's cool. Usually everyone else I talk to always raves over the banana or blueberry flavors."

There was a slight pause.

"How about you, Mario?" Peach asked. "What do you usually drink?"

"Anything, as long as it doesn't make me throw up." He responded. Peach laughed.

"Do you like raspberry tea?" she asked.

"Not growing up. But I've been drinking it for a few years now." Mario responded. He then changed the subject.

"We're very sorry about the death of your father." he said. "He was a very good man."

"I can't comprehend the fact that we don't have a king to rule over the kingdom!" Luigi said. "Who's going to look over us now?"

"We don't know." Daisy said.

"What do you mean? Can't you two become queens?" Mario asked.

"Unfortunately, the way our kingdom is set up involves the presence of a male ruler to keep things running the way they were meant to run." Peach explained.  
"We live in patriarchy slash monarchy, which means that women are forbidden to rule over the Mushroom Kingdom. But right now, since there is no king whatsoever, it is really testing the validity of the kingdom's system of government."

"Do you think that might change?" Luigi asked.

"Hopefully," Daisy said, "but as far as I've heard, they haven't come up with a viable solution."

"But the solution is so obvious!" Mario said. "Women should have equal rights!"

"You really think so?" Peach asked.

"Well, sure. Look at what the Green Hill Zone has done with their government! They have a free market and they also have the right to choose who their leader is! I'm not a politician, but as far as I'm concerned, I think that both genders should have equal control over the Mushroom Kingdom and balanced paychecks for their particular jobs. The funny thing about that is you're hearing that from a man!"

"Green Hill Zone?" asked Daisy.

"It's the little island that is populated by hedgehogs." Luigi said.

"Oh…yeah." Daisy said. "By the way, who are your hedgehog friends sitting over at that table over there?"

"The blue one is Sonic and the other is Shadow." Luigi said. "They came over from their homeland to attend the funeral as well."

"That's cool! We weren't expecting any foreigners to come." Peach said.

"Yeah, well they are foreign; this tragic accident is big news all over the universe." Said Mario.

There was another slight pause, and then the conversation continued.

"So tell us about yourselves." Daisy said. "What brings you guys to the funeral?"

"Well we have been through a lot of interesting times." Mario replied. "When we were born, our parents had a tragic accident when we were born. Our mother died while giving birth to luigi and then our dad committed suicide a week after that."

"Oh I'm very sorry to hear that, that's terrible!" Peach said.

"Its fine," said Luigi, "at least we know our parents were proud of having us. Here's a picture of them a week while they were alive."

Luigi took out a picture from his pocket and handed it over to the princesses.

"They look like a very nice couple." Daisy said.

"I say." Peach said.

"Yeah, it's a shame that we never got to know them." Mario said. "They would've wanted the best for us."

"Our childhood was very rocky from the start." Luigi said. "In fact, when we were just infants and were being delivered to our foster parents, a group of assassins came and tried to kidnap us from the stork that had us secured in delivery sacks. They only managed to kidnap me, but Mario was dropped into the ocean and fell onto a shark."

"Are you making this up?" Daisy asked.

"No! Not at all!" Luigi said. "Mario, you tell the rest."

"Well, after that happened," Mario said, "the only thing I remember is ending up on this strange island that was populated by Yoshies that helped me recover from my injuries. I still have the scar to prove it."

Mario pointed to a large dark bruise on the right side of his forehead that formed somewhat of a streak down to his right ear.

"It used to be worse than this, but luckily it's been fading away over the years." Mario said.

"So how did you two end up finding each other again when you had no prior knowledge of anything?" Peach asked.

"That was when we realized we had an unnatural telepathy ability in which we were able to sense each other through our brain waves." Luigi said. "But of course we had no idea what was going on in our minds. But I knew that my brother was coming to save from the assassins and he knew where I was at just by the strange brain signals I was getting. I'm just lucky that my brother got help from the Yoshies living on the island, otherwise, I probably would've been dead for sure."

"Hmm...now that you mention it, our father always kept every issue of the Monthly Kingdom Review," Daisy said, "and I remember reading an older issue about two infants where one saved the other with the help of Yoshies from deadly assassins. It was the top story in that particular issue. It's about twenty years old..."

"That was the one!" Mario said. "How did we manage to pull that off?"

"I have no idea." Luigi said. "But I can tell you this. I'm very thankful to have a brother that will look after me and guide me through rough times, especially during our school years."

"What were those years like?" Peach asked.

"Well, they were peaceful for the most part." Mario said. "My brother had a very bad experience with ghosts when we were younger."

"Really? How so?" Peach asked.

"Well, they were harassing me while I was sleeping and I could not sleep at all for many weeks because I was afraid that the ghosts would do something horrible to me. They did manage to give me some very painful cuts on my arms and legs while I was lying awake in the dark..."

Luigi paused.

"Because of that, I've always been afraid of ghosts ever since, and I've dreaded Halloween and being in the dark by myself. It's an irrational fear that I've been trying so desperately to get rid of, but could never get over it. I was always made fun of in school because of it."

"I was always made fun of for looking after my brother too much." Mario said. "They just didn't understand our situation..."

There was a long silence.

"Is everything alright with you two?" Daisy asked. "What happened?"

"It's very traumatic; I don't think you want to hear about it." Mario said. "The details are simply too graphic."

"HEY YOU TWO!" Sonic called out. "WHAT'S TAKING SO LONG?"

Mario and Luigi turned back to the princesses.

"Do you girls want to sit with us?" Luigi asked.

"Sure!" Peach said. "It would be a pleasure!"

_Wow! This is turning out very nicely!_ Mario thought to himself. _I think they really want to get to know us more. _A lot_ more! Peach seems to be the right one for me. Too bad I can only choose one!_

_They seem to like us a lot! _Luigi thought. _I think I'm falling for Daisy! She's really making me tingle inside! I wonder what kind of surprises she has to reveal about herself. I can't wait for that party now!_

* * *

**The brothers and the princesses finally meet and start to form a relationship. Here, the events of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island were revealed as Mario recalled his and Luigi's infancies. Luigi also offers his explanation for his phasmophobia as a result of repetitive childhood harassment from ghosts as he slept. **

**It also seems that Mario and Luigi are a little too optimistic about the princesses. Being the somewhat immature nineteen-year-olds they are, they think that if the princesses really do like them that wonderful things will happen later that night. We'll see about that!**


	9. Part 1, Chapter 9

**9**

As Bowser and his minions soared toward the Mushroom Kingdom in their airships, they began to experience slight turbulence in the air that rocked them from side to side. But it was nothing major, so they continued flying with unmatched success. Bowser's confidence was rising to a whole new level.

"Ha ha! Now there is nothing that will stop us now!" Bowser sneered. His minions found themselves for their boss, but it was short-lived.

"SHUT UP! We have to remain serious here!" Bowser said as the minions began to quiet down. "We can't forget our objective!"

"Sir, how far are we from the king's castle?" one of the minions asked.

"We still have about three to four hours before the party!" Bowser said. "It will be a while. In the meantime, just focus on keeping everything under running order. We don't want another repeat of what happened that one time when we flew over those ice plains some time ago!"

"Aye, aye, sir!" said the minion, whose tone sounded somewhat impatient with the long wait. Still, he was not completely disappointed. After all, his job was to keep the ship clean and was spotless when they first got on it.

The flying Koopas had it easy, for they just had to keep up with the airships. The only difficult part for them was stay in flying animation for four hours. Most flying Koopas could only fly for two hours at a time. However, thanks to Bowser's clever energy potion invention, the Koopas were able to keep it steady for up to five hours!

It was a good thing that the sun was not very low in the horizon just yet, otherwise the blinding orange light would more than likely blind and misguide Bowser and his air fleet. However, Bowser was able to overcome this problem with the help of sunglasses, but since they were heading in the opposite direction relative to the evening horizon, the fleet would have no issues with blindness.

"Luckily I chose today to carry on with an evil plan." Bowser said to himself. "The weather is supposed to make a turn for the worse tomorrow, and I do not plan on getting caught in the middle of it. The last thing I need is for my plans to be canceled over the stupid weather!"

As the fleet briefly passed through a small cloud, they caught sight of the mountainous terrain that bordered the extensive lava plains which marked the political boundary between the Mushroom Kingdom and Bowser's Empire. It was a sure sign that they were closer to their destination, where they would create mass terror unlike anything else that has ever been seen in the Mushroom Kingdom before. Bowser gave out his evil laugh as they crossed the border and entered the Mushroom Kingdom, whose foundation was just starting to chip away due to the absence of a decent ruler.


	10. Part 1, Chapter 10

**10**

Mario and Luigi had since told the princesses their horrible and traumatic experience after giving in to their insistent requests. Peach and Daisy were especially awestruck and heartbroken.

"I'm so sorry to hear about that!" Peach said. "No one should have to go through that kind of sickening experience, especially at a very young age!"

"And I thought our lives were difficult!" Daisy said.

"Oh, please!" Shadow whispered. Sonic responded with a slap to his face.

"Be polite!" Sonic said. "It's not nice to criticize anyone's thoughts, especially if it's a princess you're talking about."

"Thank you, Sonic." Daisy said. "That's the way to keep him in check!"

Everyone except Shadow laughed at the comment.

"I don't know why," Luigi said, "but I keep getting the impression that I've seen you before."

"Really?" Daisy said. "How?"

"I remember back when me and my brother were teenagers and still in school, there were these two girls that looked very similar to you two. They were often called 'the princesses of the halls', but I never got the chance to speak to either of them."

"I remember that, too!" Mario said. "Now that I think about it, it does seem that way! Wait…"

"We have a confession." Peach said. "It _was _us that you saw in the halls back then!"

"No way!" Luigi said. "They had different names…"

"When we were getting our schooling, we weren't allowed to use our real names, since we decided to go to a public school rather than a private school." Daisy said. "It was so that we wouldn't attract too much attention from everyone else and build up a sort of 'paparazzi'."

"Do you remember us at all?" Mario asked. "I mean, since you went to the same school as us, don't you remember seeing us there at all?"

"Quite frankly, I don't." Peach said. "But I find it weird that you two used to be on the front of a magazine when you were babies, now that I think about…"

Suddenly, Peach was having a flashback.

"OH! I remember you two! It's all coming back to me! You used to date me!"

"I remember too!" Daisy said. "Remember when you took me to that dance, Luigi?"

"Yes." Luigi replied. "I never forgot. I just didn't think I was actually dancing with a princess!"

Daisy laughed. "You're funny, Luigi! That's what I've always admired about you, even though I just remembered it again."

Both Luigi and Daisy laughed this time. Mario and Peach shared the same humor as they exchanged comments.

"Remember the time you took me out to dinner and we had spaghetti and meatballs?" Peach asked Mario.

"Yeah, and I accidently dropped some sauce on my lap!" Mario said. "I was so embarrassed."

"We still had fun though." Peach said. "I don't remember any other time I was treated so nicely by a young man other than you."

"Oh, stop." Mario said, blushing. "You really mean that?"

"Well, I can prove it to you if you want." Peach said. "Here, have the rest of my tea."

Mario was lost for words; he didn't know what to say.

"It's so great to finally catch up with you!" he said.

"I've missed you, Mario." Peach replied in a whisper tone.

As the conversation continued, Sonic and Shadow were starting to feel a bit left out when they saw two people walking down the hall outside the dining area. They were quick to recognize who they were."

"Umm, I hate to interrupt your conversation," Sonic said, "but look who's coming over to our table."

Mario and Luigi turned toward the arched entrance and saw Wario and Waluigi marching toward their table with angry expressions on their faces like they haven't seen before in their life. Their skin was glowing red with fury.

"Who are they?" Daisy asked.

"Our mean cousins." Luigi said. "I can't believe they actually came, and right when I was hoping they wouldn't either!"

"What do they want this time?" Mario asked.

"Who knows," Luigi said, "and frankly, who cares?"

"You guys are dead!" Wario shouted as he came near to the table.

"What did they do this time?" Shadow asked. "I'm sure you can't say anything to that!"

"Actually, smart one, we do have something to say." Waluigi said. "Because of that little stunt that you pulled off at the Club 64, you got us fired from our part-time jobs because we didn't sell anything!"

"Well, that being said, you should actually be blaming yourselves for not meeting up to the boss's demands instead of blaming your poor cousins." Sonic said. "Based on what they have told us, they've had it hard their whole life and they don't need you guys making it even harder."

"They've been telling you lies." Wario said. "Ever wonder why else they've had such a hard time growing up?"

"Bullshit! I'm smart enough and I've seen enough to know that what _you_ have said was a lie. But, unless you want your ass kicked again, I suggest you get away from this table!" Sonic said furiously.

"We're not leaving until we get our revenge!" Waluigi said.

"Just leave us alone!" Mario said. "Might I remind you that you have two princesses here listening to you guys blabber on about your irrational problems? They might as well report you for giving us too much verbal harassment."

"Why you little…"

"Enough!" Peach said.

The next thing that happened was very sudden. Waluigi ignored Peach's command and grabbed Mario by the neck and threw him into the table, breaking it clean in half and having the sections fall onto his head.

"Mario!" Luigi gasped.

"Oh no!" Daisy shouted.

Waluigi turned over towards Luigi with a crazed expression that was comparable to someone who was very mentally ill.

"You're next little boy!" Wario said making a dash toward Luigi and Daisy. Luigi tried to escape, but Wario managed to grab him by the feet and drag him onto the floor. Daisy and Peach managed to run to safety toward the castle's main hall to get help.

"Let go of me you son of a bitch!" Luigi said, reaching for the table leg in an attempt to break free from Wario's amazing grip. But his longer arms were unable to reach for it.

"You will regret this." Wario said.

"What?"

Suddenly, Waluigi was also seen standing above Luigi, which he then lifted his foot and then swiftly kicked Luigi in the head, forcing him to go unconscious.

"You are no match for our superiority!" Wario said.

"You will…" Waluigi said, but then stopped.

Sonic, who frantically search for a way to stop the madness, had quickly grabbed a steak knife from the kitchen and lodged the knife through Waluigi's shoulder. Shadow then attacked Wario by punching him in the nose.

"AHHHHHHH!" cried Waluigi as blood dripped down his arm from where the knife was sticking out of his shoulder.

"Eat that!" Sonic said. "That's what you get for not listening to me!"

Waluigi painfully pulled the knife out of his shoulder and launched it toward Sonic with all of his strength. But Sonic was quick to dodge the blade and it ended up jabbing Wario's leg instead.

"OWWWWW!" he cried, giving Waluigi a deadly expression on his face. Shadow took the knife and pointed the blade at Wario. "Watch what you do to my friends, punk!"

"FREEZE!" shouted an unsuspected guard Toad, who was accompanied with five others, including Toad, and the princesses who were furious.

"You are under arrest, crooks!" said another Toad person. Seeing the unconscious bodies of Mario and Luigi on the floor.

"We will see that these two get medical attention immediately!" said a third Toad.

"Will they be okay?" Peach said.

"It's hard to say." The guard responded. "As for these four, they will spending the next few years in the Mushroom Kingdom prison for charges of battery, assault, and attempted murder."

"But we never tried to murder anyone!" Shadow pleaded. "We just came here to see the king's funeral!"

"Oh yeah, then why do you have a knife in your hand? Explain that! Too late!"

"Way to go, Shadow!" Sonic said.

"Well, you're the one who got the knife in the first place!" Shadow responded.

"I don't care! I'm just glad that we never got killed and that Mario and Luigi are safe. But how am I going to explain this Amy?" Sonic asked.

"That's your problem!" said Shadow as they got their hands chained up and were guided out of the castle. Mario and Luigi were taken by four castle doctors that had arrived shortly after the guards did. Peach could only watch.

"Ugh! Those poor foreigners!" Peach said, as she walked over towards Daisy, who was standing over by the wreckage inside the dining hall. "I really hope that Mario and Luigi will be okay. I never thought that anything like this would've happened on the night of our father's funeral. I can't stand this bad luck any more!"

"Neither can I." Daisy said.

"Is something on your mind?" Peach asked.

"Well, I've been thinking to myself. What if Mario and Luigi are the perfect husbands for us?"

"Are you crazy? They don't have any knowledge of how this kingdom's economics and politics work." Peach said. "They weren't born into it like we were. Don't get me wrong, I love Mario, and you obviously have a thing for Luigi. I just don't think that they will be ready to be kings of this kingdom."

"But, then again, they may be the only options we have." Daisy said. "Who else would be better qualified than those two? Certainly not fucking Bowser!"

"You're right, Daisy." Peach said. "This kingdom needs a massive makeover!"

"But that's not what I had in mind." Daisy said.

"I know." Peach said. "But think of all the ways that they would help our kingdom! They're commoners! They know what they want to see change around here and I know that they're the kind of husbands that our father would've wanted for us. Not only that, but they're very kind and they deserve something to make up for all of the trouble and misery that has plagued their very existence. I would do anything to make them happy for the rest of their lives! Wouldn't you?"

"Of course!" Daisy said. "You know it!"

* * *

**Wario and Waluigi strike again! This time it turned violent, leaving Mario and Luigi unconscious. The princesses, who ran to get help, returned with three guard Toads who arrested the evil cousins and both hedgehogs. The princesses knew that Sonic and Shadow were only trying to help, but they had been caught at the wrong time.**

**It is now known that Peach and Daisy have known Mario and Luigi for years. They had different names, which the princesses said earlier that it was their father's idea to prevent them from being noticed by everyone else at school. Was there a deeper reason behind this?**

**The princesses are now realizing that Mario and Luigi could be the ones for them, but they are still worried that their lack of knowledge of royal government may prove otherwise. Still, they continue to keep their close eye on them...**


	11. Part 1, Chapter 11

**11**

Mario was the first to wake up after lying unconscious for about two and a half hours. He looked around and saw that he was lying in a hospital bed; he could tell that he was in a hospital because of the smell. He also saw Luigi in a bed next to him, still in a state of unconsciousness.

"Mario, you're awake!" said the voice of an older toad person that was standing in the doorway. "My name is Toadsworth."

Mario started looking around the room and suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head.

"Please, don't jerk your head around so much!" Toadsworth said.

"Where am I exactly?"

"You're inside the castle's infirmary." Toadsworth replied. "You've been unconscious for two and a half hours."

"Did I miss the funeral?" Mario began to question. "Where did Wario, Waluigi, Sonic, and Shadow run off?"

"Please, please! One question at a time!" Toadsworth said. "From what I've heard, they were all arrested."

"Arrested?"

"Yes. They were all charged with battery, assault, and attempted murder."

_Well, that takes care of two problems!_ Mario thought. _Serves Wario and Waluigi right for trying to kill us! Dumbasses. Hehe!_

"What about the funeral?" Mario asked.

"The funeral won't start for another hour or so." Toadsworth said. "However, I do want to talk to you about your condition. You didn't suffer any major head injuries, but you did manage to get a few wood splinters lodged into your skin after you were launched into the table. We've already taken all of them out and repaired some bloody wounds with a special healing potion."

"Well, that's great to hear!" Mario said. "What about my brother, Luigi?"

"His injuries were slightly more serious, but not by much. The only real difference was that he was not affected by wooden splinters, though he did get a few carpet burns. Thankfully, it wasn't anything serious."

"Mario?" said a familiar voice.

Mario looked over and saw his brother awake and well, almost as if he was awakened from suspended animation.

"Luigi!" Mario said. "You're awake!"

"What happened, brother?" Luigi asked. "Where are Sonic and Shadow?"

"They were arrested." Mario said. "They, along with our evil cousins, got charged for battery, assault, and attempted murder."

"Well, all I can say is that I'm glad we don't have to deal with those punks anymore!" Luigi said. "But Sonic and Shadow don't deserve to be thrown in prison with those two!"

"Try telling that to the authorities!" Mario said. "They probably won't listen, especially since they're foreigners."

"Luigi, I'm Toadsworth, the head castle doctor." Toadsworth said. "Since you've just awakened from your slumber, let me go over your present condition, even though there's really no need since your brother already knows. Everything still looks normal with your head after that hard kick you received, however my only advice is not to move your head around a lot for another twenty minutes or so, which also goes for you, Mario."

"Don't worry, Luigi. We didn't miss the funeral." Mario said.

"I was wondering about that." Luigi replied. "What a relief!"

"Well, guys." Toadsworth said. "I guess it's alright for you two to leave now."

"Thank you, doctor." Mario said.

"Don't thank me! Thank the princesses! If it weren't for them, you probably wouldn't have gotten the justice you deserved!"

"Where are the princesses?" Luigi asked.

"They're waiting outside in the hall." Toadsworth said. "They were very worried about you two. I've never seen them worried about anyone else, other than their father when he passed away yesterday. I think they like you guys."

"I think so too." Mario said, making it seem like they didn't already know.

Toadsworth winked. "See you two at the funeral."

Peach and Daisy were waiting out in the hall when they saw Mario and Luigi walk out of the infirmary. Their faces immediately lit up.

"Mario! Luigi! We were so worried!" Peach said.

"Did you hear about your cousins being arrested?" Daisy asked.

"We sure did!" Luigi said. "Hallelujah!"

"Great!"

The first thing that both of the brothers noticed were the dresses that the princesses were now wearing. They had dressed themselves for the funeral in beautiful black that made their faces stand out more so than with pink or gold. Their beauty had Mario and Luigi spellbound.

"Are you guys getting hungry?" Peach asked.

"Yes!" Mario said. "I'm been hungry for last four or five hours! I feel like I could eat an entire yoshi!"

"Good! That's great to hear! Because, I heard that our chefs were almost finished cooking the prime rib and baked potatoes. They will also be serving our famous Mushroom Kingdom tossed salad with mushrooms being one of the main ingredients, of course!"

"That's sounds so awesome right now!" Luigi said. "I wish I could eat like that every day!"

"Well, in about an hour and thirty minutes, you'll be able to have as much food as you want! It will be like a buffet, but better!" Daisy said.

"I can't wait to eat!" Mario said. "Is there any water around here that I can drink? I'm really thirsty."

"Yes." Peach said. "Would you like me to show the way?"

"Yes, please!" Luigi said.

The two brothers followed the princesses down the hall to a nearby drinking fountain where they could quench their thirst until the big dinner after the funeral.


	12. Part 1, Chapter 12

**12**

As the bright sun of the afternoon faded into twilight, Bowser and his air fleet had made substantial progress as they continued soaring towards the castle. Bowser checked the time: it read 18:20 which translated to 6:20 P.M. They had ten minutes before the funeral and Bowser knew that ten minutes was not very much time. He checked out the scenery again and was happy to see that there were lights down below, indicating that they were now floating over Toad Town, Mushroom Kingdom's capital city.

"At last!" cried Bowser. "The first and most tedious phase of our evil plan is complete!"

"That's great boss!" said Kamek, his personal assistant. He was unlike the other Koopas, because for one he was much older than the other troops, almost as old as Bowser himself. Second, he gets around by flying on a broomstick, which many flying Koopas would find rather unconventional for their type. He has been assisting Bowser with his evil upbringings for the past three decades, but without much success in carrying out Bowser's evil plans. Still, he admired Bowser's evil wit and has been inspired to do evil things himself.

"We are going to land our ships near the outskirts of the city, that way no one notices who we are." Bowser said. "In fact, everyone will be inside the castle watching the funeral, which will give us the much needed leeway!"

"By the looks of it, I think you're right!" Kamek said. "Look! There's no people down there! It will be perfect!"

"Excellent!" Bowser said. "Order the Koopas to land over in that wide open field on the outskirts of the city." Bowser said, pointing to the designated location down below. "After that, I'll secure the airship in the air and follow right behind, that way when we grab the princesses, we can make a quick and easy escape. The difficult part will be the running, for me it will be anyway…After all, we will be running clear from one end of the city to the other."

"Right!" Kamek said. "Or, you try my broomstick. I don't know how much weight it can support, but you can see if that will work, that way you don't have to run all the way back."

"Are you saying that I'm fat?" Bowser glared.

"No, not at all! Otherwise I would've said it to you bluntly." Kamek responded.

"I'm just checking…" Bowser said.

As Kamek ordered the other Koopas to make a soft landing, Bowser secured the airship by dropping a giant anchor down to the ground below, in the same way a helium balloon is held down by a string that is tied to a nearby chair. Other airships came soon after and followed the same procedure. From there, Bowser carefully climbed down the chain and made his way to the ground and met up with one of his platoons.

"Alright, soldiers!" Bowser said. "You know the drill! Be as quiet as you can to avoid attention! I want all of you to meet me near the back of the castle in about thirty minutes. By then, everybody inside the castle should be having a good time, not aware of our presence. So, everybody, move out!"

With the airships, quietly hovering above, Bowser and everyone else involved in the mission started making their way into the nearby wooded areas surrounding Toad Town and made their way towards the castle.


	13. Part 1, Chapter 13

**13**

Mario and Luigi found themselves standing inside the giant ballroom, surrounded by many others that were also wearing black, mostly Toad people but also a few other human beings that they have never seen before. The princesses had since left to help with the funeral arrangements and also agreed to read the eulogy and the king's will, leaving the two brothers sitting in the ballroom for the funeral to start.

Just then, a loud horn sounded a familiar sad tune and the giant doors at the other end of the room opened revealing the carved wooden casket in which the king's dead body was laying. It was decorated with an assortment of floral plants, including fire and ice flowers in brilliant shades of blue and red. The procession of toad people carried the casket down the center aisle and set it at the front of the room where the two princesses were seen standing on raised stage area.

"Let us pay bow our heads to pay our respects." Princess Daisy said calmly. Everybody in the room listened and obeyed. Faint echoes of crying were heard throughout the ball room as it got silent. Mario and Luigi found it hard to ignore.

Princess Peach then took over and started reading the eulogy.

"Our father was a great man and a wonderful king, but he was also a loving father. He led this kingdom through rough times and was successful at turning the tide against his rival Bowser, which has desperately tried taking over this kingdom for a number of years without any success. He was the one that led our kingdom to its most prosperous state in recent history and he had so many other positive changes in store for us that he never had the chance to unravel. His sudden departure has left us deeply saddened, but I'm sure glad that he had the chance to watch me and my stepsister grow up into the young women we have become.

"Some of my oldest and most cherished memories are those that I have shared with my father. I remember one Christmas when me and Daisy were very young, our father made us the most elaborate and beautiful music box that anyone has ever made. It had taken him over a year of numerous labor-intensive hours to construct it carefully and I thought it was one of the most wonderful things that he had done for us.

"When Bowser attacked our kingdom over a decade ago, our father was there to aid all of the families that were devastated by the losses that they've had to endure. He was also very charitable and gave money for people who were unable to buy their own food and supplies and even raised enough money to create new restaurants, including the now-famous Club 64, which has become a signature eatery for our kingdom.

"Our father, King Toadstool, has left a lasting legacy to our kingdom; one that has by far exceeded those of his predecessors. He was the person that made this kingdom the way it is today and will undoubtedly leave an impression for many years to come. It makes me very upset to see you go like this, but if you can hear us father, we want you to know that we love you very much and that you'll always be in our hearts! The whole kingdom misses you…"

Peach suddenly started to tear up and bawl, unable to finish where she had left off. Mario and Luigi, all teary-eyed, watched as Daisy went over to calm her down.

"I feel so bad." Mario said. "I can't stand to see her cry like that."

"I know," Luigi said, "it makes me want to cry, too."

The room remained silent as Daisy took the front stage.

"I will now read the king's will." she said, taking a deep breath. "I must tell all of you that no one here has glimpsed their eyes on it, so please be prepared for what might be present."

Daisy took the old envelope that carried the will and pulled it out, revealing that it was comprised of three pages. She started reading from the first page.

"_I realize that I am still a ways from reaching death, but there are some things that I need to write down in case anything ever happens to me, that way the kingdom doesn't fall to pieces._"

Daisy paused and then continued.

"_The first thing that I need to say is actually a confession that I just never had the heart to tell my two daughters._"

Daisy kept reading and was shocked at the next two sentences.

"Oh, my gosh!"

"What is it, Daisy?" Peach asked.

"Look at this!"

Peach went over and examined the next line and gasped:

_Daisy, I want you to know that I am not your true father. You are actually my niece and the daughter of my brother who passed away before you were born. He was the king of Sarasaland and you are its princess._

"You're my cousin?" Peach said out loud.

Everyone in the room gasped. Mario and Luigi looked up with confused expressions.

"Did I just hear that right?" Luigi asked. "Did Peach say that they were cousins?"

"You heard right, brother." Mario said. "I am shocked."

"I say! I had no idea that she was a princess to another kingdom!"

Peach and Daisy exchanged confused looks.

"Apparently, we're much closer than we thought we were!" Daisy said. "All these years, I thought I knew my parents! But now I realize that I was raised by my uncle! Who were my parents?"

Daisy started to tear up as she thought about it.

"Why would he keep that a secret?"

"I am not sure." Peach said. "I am so sorry…"

"Don't say any more!" Daisy cried. "I have to think!"

Daisy ran down the center aisle and out the giant double door entrance and down the hall. It was very unusual for her to cry like this.

"Daisy!" Peach cried. But it was no use.

Mario and Luigi watched as Daisy made her way up a nearby stairway

"Oh no." Luigi said. "I hope she's alright. I feel very sorry for her."

"Me too." Mario said. "I can't imagine what it be like to find out if you were not my brother! I would be awfully devastated."

Princess Peach suddenly found herself back in the spotlight.

"I am terribly sorry everyone." Peach said. "I really need to talk to Daisy. Excuse me for just a few minutes."

Peach walked down the center aisle and through the double doors and down the hall where Daisy had travelled. Everyone in the room watched.

"Where is she going?" Luigi asked.

"She's going to go talk to Daisy." Mario responded.

* * *

It wasn't long before Peach spotted Daisy sitting on the stairway crying and having her makeup run down her face in long dark streaks.

"Daisy, there you are!" Peach said.

"Go away!" Daisy said. "I can't think when you're flapping your mouth at me!"

"Damn it, Daisy! What is going through your mind?" Peach asked.

"It's hard to explain!" she cried. "I just can't get over the fact that I no longer know who my real parents are! You have no idea what it's like!"

Daisy started to cry all over again as Peach pulled her up and gave her a hug.

"I'm so sorry about that, Daisy!" Peach said. "I am just as shocked as you are. But as your cousin, I am still part of your family and I can't care about you any less! I will always look after you, no matter what. I mean, at least you're still royal."

Daisy started to cry less.

"Can I still call you my sister?" Daisy said.

"Of course! After all, we were raised under same roof, were we not?"

The two laughed and hugged. Daisy wiped away her blackened tears and started following her sister back to the ballroom, where all of the others waited anxiously for their return.

"By the way…" Peach said. "I did manage to catch the next part of the will right when you left. You will like it."

"What is it?" Daisy asked.

"I'm not telling you! It's a surprise!" Peach replied.

"Can you give me a hint?"

"No."

"Why, you…"

"Trust me."

* * *

Peach and Daisy made their way down the center aisle towards the front of the ballroom where the will was left on a nearby table. Daisy went over and picked it back up.

"I am so sorry about that, everyone." she said apologetically. "I will continue with the will."

She took it in her right hand and started reading the next few lines:

"_As one of my final requests for this kingdom, I have noticed the way that women have been treated in the workforce and in society as a whole. They get paid unequally as men, they can't vote for their next leader, and they are often underestimated in the role of royal government. That is why I have decided that women should be granted equal pay, the right to vote, and the right to rule even if the royal king dies. By doing this, it will put less pressure on royal couples to have a baby boy in order to continue rule in this kingdom. That being said, I think Peach and Daisy should have the right to take over when I die_."

Everyone in the room stood up and applauded when the lines were read. It was almost as if someone turned the volume up from zero all the way to one hundred. Mario and Luigi found the king's proposal quite ironic, because it seemed like they were just talking about it when they were drinking tea in the dining hall. In fact, they _were_ talking about it in the dining hall. Mario was shocked.

"It looks like we got our wish!" Luigi said over the loud clapping that filled the room.

"I know!" Mario said. "That's amazing!"

As the clapping began to die down, Princess Daisy continued reading the will:

"_The Toad servants that were hired under my rule should continue living here in the castle without paying any nasty yearly fees for doing so until they die and they also each get over ten thousand gold coins from my stash as a reward for their extensive labor to keep the castle up to date. I don't know what else could've been better, so that will be my treat to you when I die._"

There was a small uproar of cheers from the crowd coming from the servants that were present as the lines were read.

"_And, for everyone else that has been loyal to me, and by that I mean everyone in the entire kingdom, I have decided the raise the minimum wage for all Mushroom Kingdomers from four gold coins to seven gold coins._"

Everyone was giving their applause once more. It had become clear that the king's legacy was definitely going to live on in history as far as what the king wanted so dearly for his kingdom. It was now going to be a reality.

"Our father was really up to something after all!" Peach said.

"And to think that we had the same ideas floating around in our head!" Daisy said. "Now, don't tell me we're all related here!"

Everyone laughed at Daisy's comment. After that, Daisy turned to the second page of the will with still two pages left. She continued where she left off:

"_And last, but not least, my final request is actually an award for greatest overall improvement over one's life. I want to dedicate this to two people who I have watched ever since they were babies. Their names are Mario and Luigi._"

The two brothers gasped when their names were called. Everyone else was looking at them with puzzled expressions and some, who were evidently former classmates, gave horrible gestures at them. The princesses were quick to usher them out of the room with the help of security guards. Peach found herself shocked again. Daisy continued reading in a shocked tone:

"_These two brothers have had the hardest life that anyone could have ever imagined. Their mother died when they were first born and their father committed suicide a week after their birth. To make matters worse, they were quickly separated soon after by Bowser's evil forces. Luigi was captured, but Mario managed to seek refuge on Yoshi's Island after being dropped into the shark-infested waters. However, due to an amazing ability to sense each other's pain, Mario was able to find Luigi with the help of the Yoshies and save his twin brother, all of which happened when they were still in diapers! I still find this absolutely astounding, even after almost twenty years since it happened. _

"_But when they were around nine years old, their foster parents were mutilated by Bowser's forces when they attempted to invade the kingdom ten years ago. I was the one in charge of finding them a new place to call home when I heard this happen. Of course, I had someone else doing this for me because I was getting ready to launch a counterattack on Bowser, but I do wish I could've seen them in person. I still regret not helping them out even more than I did or being there to see their faces, because I have heard that they had some very abusive family members, particularly their bastard cousins. However, when my daughters told me that they go to the same school as they did, I was thrilled to let them go on dates with them. However, I had already told Peach and Daisy that they were to go to school under different names before the school year began, and once again, I had unwittingly avoided seeing the two brothers in person again. But from what I've heard, Mario and Luigi are very polite and talented. Actually, I should say that they've always been that way. Peach and Daisy always had something positive to say about them whenever they took them out._

Daisy turned to the third page:

"_But my final request is this. To make up for all of the hardships and tragedies that these two brothers had to go through during their childhood and adolescent years, not to mention their lack of recognition in the kingdom for their amazing life story, I am giving them permission to marry Peach and Daisy if they so desire, and of course, if Peach and Daisy approve. I hope that they have a bright future ahead of them. And, if I die before I finally get to see them, I wish them the best of luck in the adult world. They are like the sons I was never able to have. I just hope that when Peach and Daisy read this that they understand my thought process behind this. I love them dearly and I also wish for them to have a bright and happy future as the new rulers of this kingdom along with their future husbands to look after and protect them._"

Mario and Luigi were astounded by what they heard from the king's will. Almost two-thirds of the document had been dedicated to them! Peach and Daisy were looking at them with puzzled expressions.

"The king acknowledged us more so than the princesses!" Mario whispered. "We didn't even know the king!"

"But he certainly knew who we were!" Luigi said.

Suddenly, Peach ushered them up to the front of the room and everyone inside the room was glancing over at the two brothers. They stood up and walked over to the two princesses and waited for them to say something.

"You wanted to see us?" Mario asked.

Peach and Daisy turned to each other and suddenly smiled after an awkward silence. Suddenly, they walked toward the two brothers and gave both of them a long and satisfying kiss on the lips. Peach kissed Mario and Daisy found herself kissing Luigi. The whole crowd erupted in a cloud of applause and cheering, which contrasted greatly from the sadness that took over the room right when the funeral started. Yet in the end, the brothers had become instant celebrities; not something you'd expect to get out of a funeral, right? We did not think so either!

* * *

**One of the biggest revelations that was sparked in this chapter was when Princess Daisy discovered that she was Peach's cousin and that she is the Princess of Sarasaland. In that instant, everything she ever knew about herself turned upside down. When I first wrote this chapter, I didn't include the fact that she was a princess of another land simply because I had no idea. When I realized this, I was quick to fix it. Luckily, I didn't have to rewrite much of the story!**

**It was interesting for the king to dedicate most of the will to Mario and Luigi. Apparently, he knew them very well. But the question arises: how? But more importantly, why? **


	14. Part 1, Chapter 14

**14**

Having already crossed the moat that swirled around the large castle from the backside, Bowser waited patiently for his comrades as he worked on getting the secret entrance open. It had been latched with excessive locks and chains, making it a real challenge to unravel. The twilight had now faded into the starry night with the moon making a rather impressive appearance in the eastern sky. Bowser heard a splash coming from behind him, which was followed by many more watery footsteps. He turned around and watched the Koopas jump from the surrounding cliffs and swim through the dark water to the illuminated area where he was standing.

"Hurry up! Help me bust this door open!" Bowser shouted out.

"Right on it, sir!" said one of the troops as they got closer.

"Hurry! We haven't got all night!" Bowser shouted back. "Where's Kamek?"

"Last time I checked, he was with you, sir!" said another troop. "Why?"

"I think I know a way to get the door open with his magic." Bowser said. "But only he would be able to do the trick!"

"Might I make a suggestion?" said another Koopa. "Do you think it would be possible to just simply ram the door in?"

"Well, look at it and tell me!" Bowser said. "There's got to be at least a million little tiny chains and locks on this door!"

Bowser stared at the tiny locks for minute and thought of another idea.

"Do any of you have something tiny and long, like an over-bent paperclip?" Bowser asked.

"Why?" said another troop. "What use would that do?"

Bowser began extremely irritated with the Koopa's ignorance.

"Have any you dumbasses heard of picking a lock?" Bowser said. "Good grief! What universe did you come from? The land of Pokémon? Seriously, people."

Suddenly, Bowser heard a swirling sound coming from the sky and was relieved to find Kamek making his way down to where everyone else was standing.

"There you are!" Bowser said. "Where the hell have you been? After all, with that broomstick, you should've made it here long before any of us!"

"Well, I had a bit of trouble maneuvering it." Kamek said. "The next thing I knew, I was stuck in a tree! I knew I shouldn't have had that red wine along the way here!"

"Yeah." Bowser said. "Might I remind you that drinking alcohol and driving a broomstick is illegal here in the Mushroom Kingdom!"

"You can't be serious!" Kamek said. "Don't go Mr. Goody Two-shoes on me, now! Just because we're performing an evil operation doesn't mean we have to obey the laws!"

"Well, it would be kind've a good idea to go unnoticed right now, because we can't afford to be caught again!" Bowser said.

Kamek said nothing.

"Now, will you please open this door?" Bowser demanded.

"Yes," Kamek said, "but I must warn you that I haven't practiced any magic yet today, so it will take me a while to warm up."

"Well, hurry up!" Bowser said. "The party has already started!"


	15. Part 1, Chapter 15

**15**

Inside the banquet hall, the guests were full of chatter as they crowded around the giant banquet tables as they were piled with mounds of delicious food. Mario and Luigi sat next to the princesses at the royal table, where all of the servants under the king's administration sat. Both princesses were now wearing sparkling dresses; Peach was wearing her new silver sparkle dress, while Daisy wore sparkling gold. The two brothers did not say much, for they were busy snarfing the prime rib and mashed potatoes that lay before them in front of the table. The princesses were busy drinking their beverages, and the Toad people were having side conversations, mainly over the recent events that have taken place with the king's funeral. Mario and Luigi, nonetheless, seemed to stand out more than ever before in their entire lives.

"How's your food?" Peach asked the two brothers.

"It's very delicious!" Mario said. "May I take some this home with me?"

Peach laughed.

"Of course you can!" she said. "How about you, Luigi?"

Luigi was quick to swallow the bit of food that he had in his mouth when he was finally able to reply.

"I don't think I've ever eaten this good in my entire life!" he said. "I thank you and everyone in this castle for your gracious hospitality. I really do appreciate it."

"Well, you guys are more than welcome to visit the castle any time you wish." Daisy said. "Your company is always welcome."

She winked at Luigi, making him blush and smile.

Just then, Toad and Toadsworth both showed up next to the two brothers.

"Hey, what's going on you guys?" Toad asked. "Are you enjoying your meal?"

"Yes, sir." Mario said.

"Good, good." Toadsworth said.

There was a short silence, but the two brothers knew that they had more to say to them. Finally, Toad broke the silence.

"I was surprised that the king mentioned your names in the will." he said. "He must've known you boys very well."

"Evidently, yes." Mario said. "But I was surprised at the fact that the king was there for us as we grew up, even though he wasn't…"

"I still feel terrible about your discovery, Daisy." Luigi said. "I can't imagine what that must feel like."

"Don't worry about it Weegie." Daisy said. "I'll be fine, really."

_Weegie_? Luigi thought. _That's new…_

Daisy continued to stare at him with her graceful smile as if he were her own man. Luigi just smiled back and his face turned a bashful red.

"Well, I must say that you guys really deserve more attention." Toadsworth said. "I had no idea that your situation was that bad."

"Don't worry about it," Mario replied, "we're used to it. Would you like some champagne?"

"No, thank you." Toadsworth said. "I was thinking about retiring for the night. I haven't been getting any good sleep lately."

"Are you sure?

"Yes, but thank you. I'll see you guys later."

"Alright, see you later!"

After Toadsworth left, Peach started a new conversation.

"I just remembered something exciting that we did when we were teenagers." she said. "Remember when we all walked down to that haunted house right at the edge of town and we dared Luigi to stay there all night?"

"That was the one where a couple of young Toads had gone missing and nobody was able to find their bodies, right?" Daisy asked.

"Right." Peach replied. "But it had a history of people going there and vanishing without a trace to begin with."

"That was one of the worst things I ever had to deal with." Luigi said. "There were Boos everywhere I turned, and they tried to kill me! I could've died that night easily!"

"But if you never gave in to it, you would've never have discovered all of those skeletons buried inside the walls of the house." Daisy said. "Remember when that ended up in the paper?"

"Yes." Mario said. "My brother was seen as a hero for surviving the night and getting rid of the ghosts. Although, I still don't exactly how he did it."

"I choose not to remember it!" Luigi said. "The only thing I do remember is solving the most terrible and complicated puzzles that you guys would ever see! It was almost like being in a game…"

"Come on, Weegie!" Daisy said. "Just tell us how you killed the ghosts!"

_She said Weegie again_!

"I thought I already told you guys." Luigi said.

"We don't recall." Peach said. "Please tell us."

"Well, I sucked all of them up with a vacuum cleaner that had been sitting in that house for I don't know how long…" Luigi said. "But after I sucked all of them up, I disposed of them in a burning fireplace. Their screeching was perhaps the most terrifying noise I've ever heard, besides the heavy breathing sounds coming from behind me as it got very quiet. That was before all the ghosts were disposed of."

"I can only imagine what that would've sounded like…" Toad said. "Just thinking about it gives me the creeps."

"Anyway, let's talk about something else." Luigi said, changing the subject. He turned to Mario.

"Do you remember when you won the kingdom championship when you were in the athletics club?"

"Well, of course!" Mario replied. "I was the only person to complete the whole course within a few minutes. If you were in it, you probably would've been able to do it too. Why didn't you join, Luigi?"

"I'm just not interested in athletic competition." Luigi said, taking another sip of red wine. "You know me; I can't go without my academics."

"Oh boy…" Mario uttered in a somewhat pitiful tone. "You would've been nationally recognized as well!"

"I bet my father has a copy of that news story somewhere in his drawers and cabinets." Peach said. "He was a big fan of newspaper collecting."

She paused.

"I do miss him terribly."

After a slight silence, Daisy broke it once again.

"Would you excuse me and Luigi for a few minutes?" she said. "I have to tell him something in private."

"Well, why can't you tell it right here?" Peach asked demandingly. "After all, we're all friends here."

"It's only for me and Luigi to know." Daisy said.

_What does she want to tell me?_ Luigi thought. _I guess I'll just have to wait and see._

"Are you coming, Luigi?" Daisy asked.

"I'm right behind you." he replied.

After that, the couple was heading out of the dining hall and towards the foyer. Mario was becoming somewhat suspicious.

"Where do you think they're going?" Mario asked.

"I'm not sure." Toad said. "Wherever they're going, I bet it's someplace quiet and isolated."

"What makes you so sure of that?" Peach asked. "I mean, besides the fact that everyone in the castle is in the dining hall at the moment?"

"Maybe they just need to go outside and get some fresh air." Mario said. "I mean, it's kind've stuffy in here, don't you think?"

"Yeah." Peach said. "I think it's also hot in here too." Peach said, starring up at the giant lighted crystal chandeliers which twinkled with brilliant sparkly glints of light.

"Would you like to go outside for a few minutes?" Mario asked.

"Absolutely." Peach said. "I'm dying inside this heavy dress!"

"I guess we'll catch up with you later, Toad." Mario said. "It was a pleasure talking to you!"

"Thanks, you too!" Toad said. "Enjoy the rest of your night!"

"Take care."

* * *

Mario and Peach walked out of the busy dining area and entered the quiet foyer. The only sound present was their heavy footsteps across the fancy marble floors. The two made their way to the front door and stepped outside into the nice cool night. The moon shone brightly from behind the castle and the stars were also seen flickering in the black sky.

"Listen, Mario." Peach began. "About that kiss…"

"No, no it's fine!" Mario automatically said.

"I wasn't apologizing to you, silly!" Peach said. "Listen, you've been a really great boyfriend to me over the years, even though you didn't know my true identity until this very night. But what I wanted to tell you was that I would like to be more than a girlfriend to you. I really love you, Mario."

"I love you too, Peach." Mario said. "I always have and I always will."

"Oh, you're just saying that!" Peach said.

"No, I really mean that. You are the only girl that I will ever love and I will protect you until death do us apart. I just can't express my love to you in any other way, because I love you that much."

Peach started to cry tears of joy.

"Oh, Mario! You must've waited for years to tell me that!" she said. "I don't know what to say…"

At that moment Mario and Peach got closer to each other – the closest they've been all night – and started making out under the moon and stars. Love was definitely in the air for this young couple, though they came from completely different backgrounds, something that Peach's mother probably would not have approved, as Peach's father once told her. Luckily for her and Mario, things would be peaceful and everlasting and they would definitely have a bright future ahead of them.

Suddenly, as Mario continued embracing Peach, he saw a small dark figure out of the corner of his right eye; a figure that was seen peaking from the north end of the castle, but he couldn't make it out.

"I see something." Mario said.

"Where? What is it?" Peach asked calmly.

"It's right over…"

Mario looked back over and saw that the figure had disappeared, as if it vanished into thin air.

"Well, it was over there."

"Are you sure you didn't have too much to drink?" Peach asked.

"Yeah." Mario said. "It was probably just one of the partygoers leaving to go home for the night."

The two walked back inside the castle and into the foyer.

"Do you want me to show you to my room?" Peach asked. "We can have our own private conversation up there while everyone else gets drowned by each others voices in the dining hall."

"Sure, I would like that." Mario said.

"I figured you would." Peach said, giving him a slight wink and a kiss on the cheek.

_I think I know where this is going to end up_… Mario thought as the two made their way up the large staircase towards the top floor of the castle.

* * *

**Mario and Peach are obviously in love with each other. It is no surprise that they were destined to be together, but are they making a good choice? Is it too soon for the couple to take it to the next level, or are they just catching up from the years they had been apart? **

**And where is Luigi? **


	16. Part 1, Chapter 16

**16**

Luigi and Daisy found themselves standing on a balcony overlooking the castle's courtyard that was linked to Daisy's bedroom, located at the top of the second tower. They had their arms wrapped around each other tight and their lips were locked to each other.

"I love you, Weegie!" Daisy said.

"I love you too, Daisy!" he replied. "So what did you want to tell me?"

"I just told you, silly head!" Daisy said.

Luigi, slightly embarrassed, started to turn red.

"Let's go back in." Daisy said. "Make sure the French doors are closed tight, they like to reopen themselves in the wind when they aren't latched."

"Okay." Luigi said as he followed her inside her decorated bedroom, which was dimly lit by a single solitary candle.

"I have a question," Luigi began, "why do like calling me 'Weegie'?"

"Because, I think that nickname suits you." Daisy said. "Does it bother you? If it does, I'll stop."

"No, you're fine." Luigi said. "I actually do think that it suits me."

Daisy chuckled.

"You always never failed to make me smile, you know that?" Daisy said. "I've seen other guys that just annoy the living crap out of me just by the way that they talk. That's because they all think they are at the top of the food chain and they think that they're better than everyone else. But you are the calmest and sweetest guy that I've ever seen and heard."

"I really think that we were meant to be with each other." Luigi said. "I've known it ever since the day we met back when we were teenagers, although I knew you under a different name."

"My father, well my uncle, also saw something in you and your brother that he wasn't able to see in anyone else." Daisy said. "He always thought of you guys as future heroes of this kingdom, but I could never understand why, besides what happened when you two were infants. You were also one of the few survivors of that attack by Bowser ten years ago. I couldn't imagine what it was like to be there, but it hurt watching it happen right from my balcony, because I knew a lot of people that lived in the suburbs. But still, for him to mention you guys in his will is very interesting. Perhaps he was foretelling some future events that would happen to our kingdom. He did always say that there would be greater heroes after he dies."

"Does your father, err uncle, know anything about astrology or mystical fortune-telling?" Luigi asked.

"I don't think so." Daisy said. "If he did, then I would've known for sure. But then again…he did mention you and your brother in his will."

"I'm sure there's a much deeper reason why he would mention us," Luigi said, "but I wouldn't know." he sighed. "If only there was such thing as astral projection."

"Yeah." Daisy said, reaching into one of the drawers of her dresser as she began searching for something.

"What are you looking for?" Luigi asked.

"You'll see." Daisy said, throwing clothes onto the floor as she reached the bottom.

"Aha!" she said, pulling out a small navy blue box. "Do you remember this?"

Daisy opened it and revealed a large and beautiful glistening diamond that showed no signs of damage. The candlelight that dominated the room turned the diamond into a prism, refracting the light into brilliant rainbows of color that dotted the dark room. Luigi immediately recognized it.

"That's the diamond that I found in the haunted mansion when you guys dared me to spend the night with those ghosts!" Luigi said.

"I've kept it all these years." Daisy said. "You know what they say. A diamond is a girl's best friend."

"Is that the only reason you kept it?" Luigi asked.

"Why, of course not!" Daisy said. "The main reason I kept it was because it makes me think of you every time a stare into it. And when I think of you, it makes me happy."

"That's so sweet of you, Daisy!" Luigi said. "Why did we ever get separated from each other?"

"That doesn't matter anymore." Daisy said. "What really matters is that we're together again. I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too." Luigi said. "I love you, Daisy. I love you with all my heart."

Daisy and Luigi began starring at each other and started to make out again next to Daisy's large bed dressed in bright gold blankets. The next thing they knew, they were lying next to each other on the bed, still making out when Luigi suddenly froze. He looked down and saw Daisy's hand reaching for his groin.

"What's going on?" Luigi asked. "What are you doing?"

But Luigi suddenly understood and Daisy smiled at him with wanting eyes.

"You can't be serious." Luigi said. "You want to get me laid?"

"I really love you, Luigi." Daisy said. "I've always wanted to know what love felt like."

"Me too." Luigi said. "I know exactly how you feel."

"Let's do it now." Daisy said. "Come get me, Weegie."

Luigi quickly got himself undressed and crawled under the silky expensive sheets next to Daisy. After exchanging intimate glances, they embraced and seized each other and started making love in the dim candlelight.

* * *

**Wait until Mario finds out about this! **

**I know that Luigi is not as well-known (or perhaps as likeable) as Mario, but let's get something straight here. Mario can't have all the glory! **

**There are two instances of irony with what Luigi did. It's ironic that even though Wario and Waluigi think he's not a man, they themselves have yet to get girlfriends! But even more ironic is that Mario is typically always first at doing everything (_Player 1_). Not this time!**


	17. Part 1, Chapter 17

**17**

"Please come inside!" Peach said, as she opened the door.

"Wow!" Mario said. "What an amazing room you have! Mine's not even half this size."

"Why, thank you!" Peach said. "It's great, because the walls are made of stone and brick, which makes it harder for sound to travel through."

"Don't you ever feel isolated when you're up here by yourself?" Mario asked. "I mean, you must get rather lonely up here."

"I do sometimes." Peach said. "But most of the time, I find it very relaxing up here when I'm not in the garden."

"That's cool." Mario replied, as he spotted the elaborate white music box on top of Peach's dresser.

"That's a very neat music box!" Mario said. "Where did you get it?"

"That's the music box my father made for me and Daisy when we were younger." Peach said. "It was a Christmas gift that he spent eleven months crafting with his own hands. I think of him every time I see it…"

Peach started to get a little emotional.

"I'm sorry if I appear to be a having another mental breakdown." she said.

Mario went over to her and put his arms around her for comfort.

"There, there…" Mario said soothingly. "I understand you pain and frustration. I've seen a lot of death throughout my life; it devastated me as much your father's death devastated the whole kingdom."

"I know." Peach said. "It's just that I'm trying to figure out what I should do with my life. I keep telling myself I don't want to live in this castle for the rest of my life and just do nothing. But I just can't figure what I could do."

"You should consider a vacation." Mario said.

"It wouldn't be as fun without you though." Said Peach with a slight suggestive smile.

"Really?" Mario said.

"Well, of course!"

Peach and Mario exchanged romantic glances and started to lock their lips as they neared the bed.

"I love you, Peach!" Mario said.

"I love you, too!" Peach replied. "How about we _lay down_ for a bit?"

"Are you saying that we should do something that we probably shouldn't do?" Mario asked.

"Now, what gave you that idea?" Peach said in a joking manner.

It was about to happen when all of a sudden a loud blood-girdling scream was heard from downstairs. It was soon followed by an uproar of chaos and then it was followed by evil laughter.

"What the hell is going on downstairs in the dining area?" Mario asked.

"Whatever it is, it can't be good!" Peach said. "We'll do this later. Right now, we have to go!"

"I'll follow you, my love!" Mario said.

…

Mario and Peach quickly raced down the spiral staircase and down the hall towards the foyer of the castle. When they reached the balcony, they gasped at the sight of the castle being flooded with enemy Koopas under Bowser's alliance! Mario and Peach quickly ducked behind a nearby statue to avoid detection.

"What are they doing here?" Mario whispered.

"I don't know!" Peach whispered back. "They obviously broke in through the back entrance! I'm so scared, Mario!"

"You're not the only one!" Mario responded, as he observed the events unfolding down on the main floor.

"Move it, cowards! Hands behind your head!" said a deep dark voice coming from the dining hall. All of the other party guests started moving reluctantly into the foyer with their hands behind their heads like prisoners as the Koopa Troopas pushed them into the room. Behind them stood a large figure, an oversized Koopa with a spiky shell, a dragon-like face, and an angry facial expression.

"It's Bowser!" Mario gasped. Peach quickly became stiff with fear and covered her mouth out of fear she might give them away.

"Where are the princesses?" Bowser demanded from the guests. "Where are they? Give me an answer or I'll gladly chop someone's head off!"

"That is for you to never find out!" said a familiar voice from down below. Mario looked and saw Toad confronting the evil Bowser.

"How dare you!" Bowser said, slapping him and causing him to hit the opposite wall with a giant THUD!

"I want an answer and I want it now!" Bowser said.

"Nobody knows where they're at!" said another toad. "They just left the dining area not too long ago!"

"Where are they at now?" Bowser demanded.

"I don't know!" cried the guest.

"Well, since no one will tell me where they're at, then I guess I'll have to search the castle myself!" Bowser said. "Men! Start searching the main floor! After that, we'll search upstairs! Got that?"

"Yes, sir!"

The guests were now in a state of pandemonium as the Koopas stormed the castle, wrecking everything that was in their path.

"We have to get out of here!" Peach whispered. "But we need to find Daisy and Luigi first!"

"Luigi!" Mario gasped. "Where could they've gone?"

"We should try Daisy's room." Peach said. "That's where they most likely are. I'll lead the way."

Mario and Peach quickly made their way down the hall in search of Luigi and Daisy as the Koopas raided the foyer and the other rooms present downstairs. The only other question that was racing through their minds was: What does Bowser want with the princesses?


	18. Part 1, Chapter 18

**18**

Luigi felt perfectly relaxed with his hands behind his head as Daisy cuddled with him under the sweaty bed sheets. He could not get over the pleasure that he had just experienced and he was still drowsy and languid and warm with the touch of her hands, her lips, her body pressed against his. He was no longer the same person he used to be and he knew it was to be that way for the rest of his life. The two of them were just lying in bed when the door was suddenly broken down. Luigi gasped and immediately covered himself up to avoid humiliation and saw his brother standing with a panicked look in his face. Peach was standing behind him.

"AH!" Mario suddenly said covering his eyes. "Please don't tell me you're doing what I think you're doing!"

"Daisy!" Peach gasped. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Alright, you caught me!" Luigi said. "Me and Daisy were sleeping together!"

"Mamma mia!" Mario said angrily. "Put your clothes back on, brother! I'll chew you out later, but right now we have an even bigger issue to worry about and it concerns all of us!"

"What's going on down there?" Daisy asked as she put her dress back on in the closet.

"Bowser is raiding the castle right now with his troops and they're looking to kidnap both you and Peach!" Mario explained. "They're causing massive panic and we have to find a way out of here!"

"What about the other guests?" Luigi said as he put his shirt back on. "What are we going to do about them?"

"There's really nothing that we can do about them!" Mario said. "Once they find us with the princesses, they'll get kidnapped for sure, and I'm certainly not comfortable with the idea of having the princesses find their own way out while we help everyone else. It will only make them more vulnerable to Bowser's forces!"

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Luigi asked. "I mean, it's too far from Daisy's balcony to the ground below!"

"Not unless you climb down the rain gutter!" Daisy said. "I've done it before!"

"That would be a perfect plan," Peach said, "except for the fact that the Koopa Troopas are searching the entire ground floor, including the outside gardens!"

"They shouldn't be able to see us that well, anyway." Luigi said. "They typically have very poor eyesight in the dark. If we can sneak past them, I think we'll be able to get away just fine."

"But where would we go after that?" Peach asked.

"We'll probably head back to our house…" Mario said. "As long as Luigi doesn't get any more funny ideas!"

"Shut up!" Luigi said.

"Well, we should probably go now!" Peach said. "I can hear them coming upstairs!"

"After you, Daisy!" Luigi said.

Daisy opened the French doors and went onto the balcony where she started climbing off the right banister and onto the rain gutter.

"Come on! It's not as bad as it looks!" she called from below to Luigi.

Luigi could not help but look down towards the ground and wonder whether he was to make it down safely. Still, he carefully managed to hold on tight to the gutter as he started climb down to the ground towards Daisy. Peach was next to go down and Mario followed closely behind. Suddenly, there was a SNAP! and the rain gutter started to fall to the ground along with Luigi, Peach, and Mario. The three of them landed on the ground with minor injuries.

"Are you guys okay?" Daisy said. "I forget to mention that it can't take too much weight!"

"We'll be okay." Mario said who got a bruise on his lower back.

"I got a scratch!" Peach complained. "It stings!"

"We should have some antibiotics at the house." Luigi said.

"Quick! Hide!" Mario said, guiding everyone behind a nearby bush. Bowser was seen wandering around the garden with a few Koopas alongside. The four friends watched cautiously.

"The princesses shouldn't have gone that far." Bowser said. "They're still on the premises guaranteed."

"What happened here?" said one of the Koopas.

"What do you mean?" Bowser said.

"Look!"

Bowser spotted the broken rain gutter on the ground and examined the balcony up above. The doors were still wide open.

"Hmmm." Bowser said. "I think I know where our little princesses are hiding now." He started looking around the garden with a suspicious glare. The four friends became nervous.

"They're on the second floor!" Bowser said. "Order the troops to search upstairs!"

"Yes, sir!" said the other Koopa.

The three goons quickly ran out of the garden and back inside to join the others. The four friends came out of their hiding spot, knowing that they were once again safe.

"That was too close!" Luigi said.

"Yeah!" Daisy said. "Let's make our way through that door over there! It'll take us straight to the outside of the castle!"

"Awesome." Mario said. "Let's get out of here!"

"I'm right behind you." Peach said.

The four friends quietly walked through the dark garden and opened the door leading them to the outside of the castle. They emerged, as expected, on the back side of the building and they walked its perimeter until they were in the front. After that, they sprinted down the road back towards Toad Town to get away from Bowser's evil forces.

…

Or so they thought…Meanwhile, up in the sky, the evil Kamek was busy watching from the air to see if he was able to spot any suspicious activity around the castle. He suddenly caught a glimpse of the four friends running toward the suburbs of Toad Town, leaving the castle in their dust.

"It's them! I must warn Bowser!" he said to himself as he drove his broomstick back down to the ground.


	19. Part 1, Chapter 19

**19**

"Bowser! Bowser!" Kamek yelled as he burst through the front doors of the castle. "I know where the princesses are located!"

Bowser turned around and saw Kamek running at full speed. All of the frightened guests have since fled the castle for their lives, leaving the evil Koopas and Bowser as its only residents.

"Kamek, there you are!" Bowser said. "Tell me, have you seen the princesses?"

"Yes, master Bowser!" Kamek replied. "I was flying over the castle and I was able to catch them running down the road towards the suburbs of Toad Town. They were with two human guys."

"Wait! Two men!" Bowser said. "What did they look like?"

"Well, one of them was sort've short and chubby," Kamek replied, "and the other was rather tall and skinny. As far as I could tell, they also looked like brothers."

"This isn't good!" Bowser said. "We have to follow them and see where they're headed! Men!"

As if they were zombies that have sprung back into existence, the Koopa Troopas all came into the foyer and lined up single file in front of their master.

"I want each of you to go into Toad Town and look for the two princesses and their men. Once you have found them, I am counting on you to bring the princesses back to me alive and well with no cuts or other minor injuries, just be sure to keep a tight grip on them so that they don't get away."

"What about the two men, sir?" one of the Koopas asked.

"_Kill them!_" Bowser said in a dark tone.

…

Over the next hour or so, the entire city of Toad Town became populated by Bowser's evil forces. They broke into people's apartments and ravaged the streets in search of the missing princesses. Bowser's presence was soon known to everyone as people started waking up from the sleep and discovered that their lives were in danger.

Bowser and Kamek stayed behind in the giant airship and discussed the next phase of their evil plan. They were about to launch an attack on the Mushroom Kingdom that has never been thought of in its entire history, something that will leave its residents awestruck and dead soon after. But the complex details of this attack were highly confidential and were not be discussed by anyone until the time comes. Still, Bowser was determined to make his plan work, but the only way it would work was if he had the princesses.


	20. Part 1, Chapter 20

**20**

Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Daisy found themselves wandering along a trail in the woods along the outskirts of town. Looking back, the giant castle had been reduced to a small and bright structure along the eastern horizon that overlooked the inner portions of Toad Town. It was dark outside…and quiet. The only sounds the four friends could hear were their footsteps on the gravel trail, the chirping of crickets, and the rustling leaves of trees under the bright moonlight that faintly illuminated their surroundings. A small breeze contributed to a minor wind chill factor, but it still felt like a spring night. It may seem peaceful, but the four friends knew that it was anything but that. They knew that sooner or later Bowser would try and hunt them down.

"Are we getting any closer to your home?" Peach asked. "My feet are killing me in these shoes!"

"Our neighborhood should be down this small hill just beyond the trees." Mario said. "When we get inside, we'll close the windows and curtains and turn out the lights so that Bowser won't be able to find us."

PISSSSSSST!

The four friends turned to their right and saw two figures in the bushes. They were relieved to see who they were.

"Relax! It's only us!"

"Sonic! Shadow! What are you guys doing here?" Luigi asked. "I thought you two were arrested!"

"We were!" Shadow said. "But we managed to escape."

"I see." Luigi replied.

"The whole town is in a state of panic right now." Sonic said. "Bowser and his troops are raiding the whole city!"

"What?" Daisy said. "That can't be!"

"It's because Bowser is trying to kidnap us!" Peach said. "I have no idea why he wants to take us away, but I'm too scared to even concentrate on getting to a safe place!"

"That can't be good!" Sonic said. "Since we've been on the run, we've been spying on them ever since they landed here in the city. You can see their airship over there in that empty field!"

The friends turned around and saw Bowser's ship sitting under the moon and stars.

"It seems empty." Mario said.

"I wouldn't guarantee it!" Shadow said. "We've seen Koopas patrolling these parts just a few seconds ago!"

"Has there been any other activity over here?" Mario asked.

"Well, no." Sonic said. "But I would stay alert if I were you. Where are headed anyway?"

"We're going back to me and my brother's house." Mario said. "We're trying to keep the princesses safe from danger."

"All I can say is that is a very smart thing to do!" Shadow said. "My advice to you guys is to keep your doors locked and your windows shut!"

"Don't worry, Shadow." Luigi said. "We've got everything under control."

"Be careful, you guys!" Sonic said. "We would stay longer, but we have to find shelter ourselves. We're in enough trouble already, and I have a feeling things may turn nasty!"

"Well, good luck!" Daisy said. "May the law be on your side!"

"I wish!" Shadow said. "We'll catch you guys some other time!"

"Nice meeting you guys!" Sonic said.

…

As the two hedgehogs ran into the woods, the four friends continued down the trail and saw an illuminated neighborhood.

"This is our neighborhood." Mario said.

"It's so peaceful!" Peach said. "I wish we lived over here instead of in the city!"

"Peach, the only reason why you feel you should live here is because these two live here." Daisy said.

"Well, at least I don't invite men into my bedroom to make love, especially after hearing you say to me, ironically enough, that getting laid on your first date isn't lady-like!" Peach said. "For all I care, you can take the whole castle and share it with Luigi if you really wanted to!"

"_Ahem!_"

Peach and Daisy turned to Luigi.

"I really don't want to be a part of this argument!" he said. "I feel guilty enough already."

"We're sorry, Luigi." Daisy said. "We're just having a talk."

"It sounded like you two were arguing to me." Mario said.

"They were." Luigi said.

"Guys, I think I hear something!" Peach said.

The four friends listened and heard distant footsteps coming from behind them.

"Koopa Troopas!" Mario said. "Everybody follow me!"

Mario led everyone into the dark woods off the trail and made their way toward the neighborhood on a detour route.

"This is actually quicker than following the trail." Mario said. "We should be there soon."

"I just hope that no one follows us and tries to kill us." Luigi said.

"They're only after us, so you guys have nothing to worry about." Daisy said.

"Well, actually we still have to worry about keeping you two safe." Mario said. "I can't imagine why you two are so important to Bowser, though. It really puzzles me."


	21. Part 1, Chapter 21

**21**

The four friends madly dashed through the back door of the two brothers' humble abode and were quick to lock the door behind them and close the blinds. Mario could feel his heart beating in his chest as he quickly dashed toward the front living room and closed the thick curtains. Luigi stood nearby, scared and clueless. The princesses were also deeply frightened, though to a much greater extent.

"Okay, I want you girls to hide in the basement while me and Luigi finish locking everything up." Mario said. "Can you do that?"

"Yes." said Peach. "Of course we can."

"Be sure to lock the door behind you." Mario said. "I can't risk any chance they'll find if they decide to break in!"

The two girls quickly ran downstairs and locked the door behind them while the two brothers stood in the dark living room with no sound present. The only things they could hear were their heavy breathing and their own heartbeats.

"This is very risky." Luigi said. "What if Bowser's troops discover the princesses?"

"They can't!" Mario said. "Every door in this house is locked, and I do believe that it is very unlikely that any of Bowser's so-called 'troops' would want to break into this house."

"I wouldn't count on it!" Luigi said. "They have their ways of causing havoc!"

The room fell silent.

"I still can't believe that you and Daisy did the wild thing." Mario said. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I…I don't know." Luigi said. "My mind went blank when it happened."

"Did you use a condom?"

"No."

Suddenly, in a flash of fury, Mario threw Luigi to the ground and towered over him with his glare of death. It was evident that the older brother was jealous of something the younger brother did.

"What was that for?" Luigi cried as he struggled to pull himself back up.

"That's for not being careful!" Mario said. "I've told you ever since adolescence that it's best to wait until you're married to do that kind of thing; but what did you do? You went off and did it anyway!"

"You aren't jealous, are you?" Luigi said. "Because I can sense the envy in your voice."

"The point is, Luigi, that…well…I guess you're not the only one guilty of that sort of thing." Mario said.

"What do you mean?" Luigi questioned.

"Me and Peach were about to do the same thing," Mario said, "but we were distracted by the invasion of the Koopas in the castle."

"See! I'm not the only one with a guilty conscious!" Luigi said. "As I have said to you before, great minds think alike!"

"Yes, but you actually did it…before your older brother!" Mario said. "Don't take that as a sign of jealousy!"

"Don't worry." Luigi said. "_I will_."

CRASSSSSSSHHHHHHHH!

A shower of glass rocked the living room as the back door exploded. Mario and Luigi gasped at the sight of two Koopas standing in the broken doorway.

"There they are!" one of them shouted.

"RUN!" Mario shouted before he had the time to get angry at Luigi's comment.

"WATCH OUT!" Luigi shouted as one of the Koopas came from behind him with a knife. Suddenly, he caught by the other Koopa, who had his arm wrapped around his neck. Luigi tried to escape, but the Koopa's grasp was too strong and he started choking to death.

"Luigi!" Mario said. "I'll save you!"

Mario quickly punched the Koopa that attacked him and round-house kicked the other Koopa to the point of unconsciousness. He then freed Luigi from his oxygen-deprived state of being.

CRASSSSSSSSHHHHHHHH!

This time, the front windows were broken down, and in came three more Koopa Troops, ready to kill.

"Oh, shit!" Mario said. "What the hell do you people want?"

Mario was slapped to the ground by one of the Koopas.

"Where are the princesses?" said the Koopa.

"I don't know what you mean." Mario said.

"WHERE ARE THEY?" shouted another Koopa.

"I think you have the wrong house!" Mario said.

_"I think we both know that what you said was an incorrect statement_."

Bowser walked into house with furious glowing red eyes. The two brothers gasped.

"Bowser!" Luigi said.

Bowser suddenly grasped Luigi by the neck and held a razor-sharp blade next to his throat.

"Now tell me," he began, "where are the princesses?"

"Why do you care?" Mario asked. "Why do you need them so desperately?"

"I'll make this simple." Bowser said. "Either you tell me where they are hiding, or you and your brother die!"

He brought the knife closer to Luigi's neck.

"By the way, I do believe that we've already met before." Bowser said sneeringly, almost as if teasing Mario. "It was during my previous invasion wasn't it? Or was it before that?"

Mario became infuriated.

"How could I not forget? You're the one that killed our foster parents!"

"J…ust…tell…them." Luigi managed to utter under his weak voice.

"No, Luigi!" Mario said. "I can't risk them being killed."

"What…about…me?" Luigi said.

Bowser let out his evil laugh.

"You mean to tell me that you would sacrifice your own brother for two gorgeous women?" Bowser said. "Whatever happened to family first?"

He laughed again. Mario painfully watched as Bowser started to edge Luigi's neck.

"STOP IT!"

"Peach!" Mario shouted.

Peach and Daisy came out from their hiding place stormed toward Bowser to confront him.

"Leave these two brothers alone!" Daisy said.

"Oh, there you are!" Bowser said, dropping Luigi to the ground. He snatched the two princesses and started making his way out of the house.

"HELP US!" Peach called out in desperation.

"Peach! Daisy!" Mario called out.

"You guys aren't going anywhere!" said one of the Koopas as the brothers were taken to the kitchen and placed into a couple of chairs. They then took rope and tied their wrists to the chair arms to the point where circulation was almost cut off. They were stuck.

"Say hello to our little friend Bob-Omb!" said another Koopa. Mario and Luigi saw that it was a bomb with a fuse. "He'll be the one taking care of you when we leave. You won't even have to worry about it for very long…"

The Koopas laughed as they started leaving the house. Mario and Luigi were quick to realize that the bomb was not lit.

"Aren't they going to light it?" Luigi asked sarcastically.

But right then, the bomb started to tick, and the fuse lit automatically! The two brothers had unwittingly underestimated Bowser's power, and now they pretty much had no hope of surviving.


	22. Part 1, Chapter 22

**22**

"OH NO!" cried Luigi.

"How the hell are we going to get out of this?" Mario demanded.

"I would tell you, but I'm too upset to say anything!" Luigi said.

"Okay, I'll make it simple. Do you want to live or die? MAKE A CHOICE GODDAMNIT!"

The fuse attached to the bomb was already a quarter of the way gone. Luigi's face was dripping with sweat as he nervously searched for a way out.

"HURRY!" Mario shouted.

"CAN'T YOU SEE I'M TRYING?" Luigi yelled, starting to get emotional. The fuse was almost halfway gone.

"HURRY UP!" Mario shouted, as he sweat profusely, starring at the shrinking fuse in front of him.

"I've got it!" Luigi said.

"Well…?" Mario questioned.

"Tilt me."

Mario suddenly gave out a puzzled expression.

"Say what?"

"Tilt my chair!" Luigi said.

"Which way?" Mario asked.

"SIDEWAYS, GODDAMNIT!" Luigi said.

"What?"

"Yoshi-whamper!"

Mario's face became flushed with anger.

"Will you say that one more time?" Mario said rather calmly. Luigi suddenly spit in his face rudely and repeated his last comment: "YOSHI…WHAMPER!"

Mario returned his crudeness by kicking his chair over into the wall.

"That's what you get for not using a condom with Daisy! Oh, and P.S., don't you ever call me that again!"

Suddenly, Luigi noticed something. He looked under Mario's chair and saw a possible way out, something that would most definitely increase their chances of survival. He starred at the object and let out a smile.

"Mario! Under your chair!" Luigi said. "I think Bowser made a fatal mistake!"

"What's so special about under my chair?" Mario demanded. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"HIS KNIFE!" Luigi said. "BOWSER LEFT HIS KNIFE IN OUR HOUSE! I CAN GET US OUT OF HERE!"

The bomb's fuse was now less than halfway exhausted. Luigi discovered the arms to his chair were loosened. He broke the arms off and quickly slipped the tight ropes from his wrist. He crawled towards the knife, grabbed it, and stood up.

"I guess Bowser's evil plot had a few flaws in it!" Luigi said.

"HURRY UP BEFORE WE EXPLODE!" Mario shouted.

Quickly, with less than a quarter of the fuse left, Luigi scrambled to free his brother. For a moment, Luigi began to question himself about freeing his brother after what he had told Bowser. He was sickened by the statement that Mario would rather save the two princesses than him. He almost wanted to just leave him behind. But then again, where would he go then? How could he have survived without his brother? After all, if was not for his older brother, he probably would never have lived to be nineteen years old.

"WHY ARE YOU SLOWING DOWN, BROTHER! GET ME UNTIED!" Mario shouted.

Luigi finished one side and started cutting the other rope. Luigi looked down at the fuse and screamed. He quickly thought of something.

"Don't move!" Luigi said. He took the knife and quickly sliced the other rope much like a samurai warrior with a katana blade. Mario was impressed.

"I didn't know you could do that!" he said.

"NO TIME! LET'S GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" Luigi replied.

The two brothers quickly scrambled towards the shattered back entrance as the bomb fuse reached zero.

KABOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The bomb exploded in a fiery inferno and sent the two brothers flying through the air. They landed with a thud and turned around to see their house completely devastated.

"Well…there goes the house Luigi." Mario said.

As he turns around, Luigi sees the horror before his eyes and starts to develop tears.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Luigi cried. "We lost the princesses and we lost our house. We have no where else to go!"

At this moment, Luigi breaks down into tears.

"What ever _did_ happen to family first?"

"What are you talking about, Luigi?" Mario asked.

"It's about what you said earlier!" Luigi responded. "You told Bowser you'd rather save the princesses than me!"

Then, in a sarcastic attitude, Luigi added: "You're a really nice brother, you know that?"

Mario realized his mistake and had the worst feeling of guilt and regret that he has ever had in his entire life. He looked and saw Luigi with his back faced toward him and his arms were crossed. Mario immediately started to feel tears welling up in his eyes.

"Look, Luigi, you have no idea how bad I feel about this!" Mario said. "What I said to Bowser didn't mean anything! I'm sorry for being overprotective, I'm sorry for taking you to breakfast, I'm sorry for bringing you to the funeral, I'm sorry for reintroducing ourselves to the princesses, I'm sorry for letting you live your own life, I'm sorry for being there when you needed me, _I'm sorry for being your brother_!"

Mario starts to cry, something that Luigi has never seen him do. Luigi was shocked at his reaction.

"Mario?" he said, turning back around with a concerned look on his face. "Are you okay?"

Mario pushed Luigi away with one arm and attempted to walk away. But Luigi stopped him.

"Please, brother!" he said. "Don't be upset!"

"Why shouldn't I?" Mario asked. "I'm a bad brother, remember?"

"Not to me." Luigi said. "You're my role model. In fact, I can understand why you would say that. It wasn't because you really meant it, you were just nervous. I know you were trying to protect me and the princesses, but I can understand that the words didn't come out the way you wanted them to. Forgive me for overreacting."

Mario wiped his tears away.

"You really think so?"

"No, Mario. _I know so_."

Mario's face started to lighten up.

"I knew you didn't mean any of the comments you said either." he said. "Perhaps I was overreacting too."

"Now that's something we have in common." Luigi said.

The two brothers managed to get a small giggle out of it. They turned back toward the flaming house.

"We need to find someplace to stay." Mario said. "Toad Town isn't safe anymore."

"You mean we're going to leave town?" Luigi said.

"I'm afraid so." Mario said.

"But, where are we going to go?" Luigi said.

"Wherever the road takes us." Mario said. "Don't worry, we'll get through this."

"I just hope the princesses aren't being tortured to death!" Luigi said. "I hope they don't blame us for what happened."

"Same here, brother." Mario said, patting Luigi on the back. "Come on, let's get out of here."

With no money, no place to live, and only their feet for transportation, the two brothers took off down the dark street and into the darkness beyond, leaving behind a life they knew would never again be a reality.


	23. Part 2, Chapter 1

**1**

Mario and Luigi woke up and found themselves on a dock just outside of a small town. It was early in the morning and Mario was the first to get up.

"Luigi, get up." Mario said in a tired tone.

"Wh…what? Where are we?" Luigi asked. "How did we end up here?"

"I don't know." Mario said, looking around. The town was evidently older, for the barrels that were piled in the concrete courtyard nearby were disintegrated and the concrete staircase leading up to the town interior was badly chipped. It was relatively empty of other people, except for a few Toad people and the sky was a dark battleship gray. As soon as the two brothers got on their feet, they started walking towards the courtyard over towards the few other people that were occupying it.

"Mario! Look out!" Luigi said, spotting a walking bomb.

"Relax, dude!" called out one of the Toad people. "They're one of us!"

"Where are we at?" Mario asked the Toad.

"Rogueport, of course! Where have you been lately? Sounds like you smoked too many mushrooms!" the Toad replied.

Luigi looked at Mario.

"Should we tell him?" he asked.

"No, Luigi." Mario said. "I have a bad feeling about this place."

"Tell me what?" the Toad asked, overhearing the conversation between the two brothers.

"Uh," Mario said, "we were kidnapped by a huge creature."

"A huge creature?" the Toad questioned.

"Yes," Mario lied, "the only thing we can say about him is that he was rather dragon-like in appearance."

"Dragon-like?" the Toad asked.

"Yes." Luigi said.

"Really?" the Toad asked. "Speaking of dragon-like creatures, did you hear about what happened last night?"

"What happened?"

"Well, we encountered it as the skies began to darken. There were giant airships flying over our heads and one of them was guided by a red-headed dragon-like creature with a spiky shell on his back. I've also heard reports that the castle was invaded and the princesses disappeared without a trace, not to mention two twin brothers that were given permission to marry them!"

"Where are you getting all this information?" Luigi asked.

"It says so in the _Monthly Kingdom Review_!" the Toad said, showing the article to the two brothers. Mario grabbed the article and saw two pictures; one of them had the princesses and the other showed them as they looked a year ago, though there wasn't much of difference.

"How did they get our picture in there?" Mario whispered.

"They keep records you know." Luigi responded. "That was when we entered into that art contest. Don't you remember?"

"I do, thank you very much!" Mario said.

They looked up at the Toad.

"Do you mind if we keep this article?" Luigi asked.

"Sure, go ahead." The Toad said.

"Thanks, uh…"

"Chad." the Toad said. "My name is Chad."

The two brothers started examining the article.

"Might I also point out that there was some suspicious activity going on here last night as well." Chad said.

"Activity?" Mario said. "What kind of activity?"

"Well, there was the usual clash between gangs and the usual excessive drug use." Chad said. "But something also happened regarding the local mafia boss Lord Crump."

"Lord Crump?" Luigi asked.

"Yes. He's the one who's in charge of most of the illegal activity that takes place throughout our city. He controls the X-Nauts which behave like his bodyguards."

"But what did he do?" Mario asked.

"Last night, near the west side of town, he announced that he was going to search for a lost relic buried beneath the ground just outside the town. Soon after, he began searching."

"What exactly is he looking for?" Luigi asked.

"Beats me." Chad said. "But whatever he said, he wants it so he can visit an old friend. A very old friend."

"You mean a dead friend?" Mario asked.

"_No_."

"Hmmmm…" Luigi said. "Is there anything else we should know about this place?"

"No, not really." Chad said. "Besides the fact you are now standing in one of the poorest places in all the Mushroom Kingdom."

"Is that so?" Mario said.

"Unfortunately, it is." Chad said. "You guys do drugs?"

"No!" Luigi said.

"Jeez, I just thought I'd ask!" Chad said.

_No wonder you guys are so poor!_ Luigi thought to himself.

"Well, I guess we'll see you later." Mario said. "I have a feeling that whatever Crump is up to is linked to something else we know about. We'll ask around."

"Yeah, do that." Chad said. "Why don't you try the central plaza? I managed to see another Toad person there. By the way he looks, I'm guessing he's not from here."

"What does he look like?" Luigi asked.

"Well, he's older; he has a white mustache and glasses. I also think he's a doctor, but I couldn't tell."

_Toadsworth!_ Mario thought.

"Okay. We'll say you later then!" Mario said.

"Alright. Good luck!" Chad said. "Beware of the criminals and gangs! They will kill you for sure!"

The two brothers walked up the broken steps and through the archway into the dark and dirty streets of Rougeport. There was no turning back now.

"I believe Toadsworth was here." Mario said.

"You do?" Luigi asked. "How do you know?"

"Because of what Chad said." Mario responded.

"You mean you trust him?" Luigi asked.

"Well, he's the only person that can help us at the moment." Mario said. "Right now we don't have anyone else. Better than no one, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Luigi said.

With that said, the brothers continued cautiously down the poorly illuminated slum as the sky began to brighten. They could only hope that they would spot Toadsworth at the central plaza, wherever that might be. Their stomachs also started to growl discomfortingly.

"We need to get out of these black suits." Mario said. "Not to mention getting a shower and a bite to eat."

"I have a feeling that we may have to wait a while for that." Luigi said. "I really don't trust this place."

"Me neither." Mario said.

The two brothers continued down the street, heading for what they thought was the central plaza.

* * *

**(8/10/12) In case you don't know already, or simply forgot, Rogueport was the first setting in Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. Even though I've never played this game, I did some research on this place and thought that it would be an interesting place for the brothers to explore. Chad is obviously a character that I made up.**


	24. Part 2, Chapter 2

**2**

Mario and Luigi walked from the dimly lit street and emerged into a small park that was illuminated by street lights and planted with large oak trees. There were various shops and restaurants that lined the streets, which spiked the two brothers' appetites.

"Boy am I starving!" Mario said. "This area of town doesn't look too bad."

"I say." Luigi said, looking around at all of the open shops. Suddenly, he spotted a familiar figure sitting on a nearby park bench.

"Toadsworth!" Luigi called out.

"Luigi! Mario!" Toadsworth replied. "What a pleasant surprise! I thought you two were dead!"

"No, but our house is!" Mario said.

"Oh, gosh! That's just terrible!" Toadsworth said. "Last night was terrible, period! Where are the princesses?"

"Well, we tried hiding them in the basement," Mario said, "but somehow Bowser knew where they were at and tried to kill us in the process of taking them away!"

"Oh, no!" Toadsworth exclaimed. "Our kingdom is screwed now! Where did Bowser take them?"

"We're not sure." Luigi said. "But somehow when we left Toad Town to find someplace else to live, we woke up on the docks not far from here."

"Were you drinking?" Toadsworth asked.

"God, no!" Mario said. "But when we woke up, we met this Toad person named Chad and he told us a lot about this place."

"Well, you certainly came to right part of town." Toadsworth explained. "This is the West Side of Rogueport, the safest and most secure area of the town."

"What makes it so safe compared to the other parts of town?" Luigi asked.

"Well, this area is largely controlled by the Mafia of Don Pianta. He lives just behind that item shop over there."

Toadsworth pointed toward the item shop just across the street to the building behind it.

"Is this your hometown?" Mario asked.

"No, I live in another nearby town not too far from here." Toadsworth asked. "So what else did you hear about this place."

"Well, we heard that there was a lot of crime in this town." Luigi said. "Not to mention another mafia boss by the name of Lord Crump."

"Ugh!" Toadsworth said. "He runs the East side."

"I take it that the East Side is the most dangerous place in this town." Mario said.

"You would be right about that!" Toadsworth responded.

"Does that mean Lord Crump is the greater of two evils?" Luigi asked.

"No, you see Don Pianta is actually the good mafia boss." Toadsworth explained. "He doesn't go around and kill other people or anything like that. He simply runs a local casino on this side of town known as the Pianta Parlor. He also owns a store called Westside Goods. I don't see why anyone calls him a mafia boss when he really has no affiliation with the mafia, but that's how he's known."

"That's cool." Mario said. "But it's kind've irrelevant to what we want to tell you."

"Oh." Toadsworth said. "What is it?"

"Okay, you know when we mentioned Lord Crump?"

"Yes."

"Well, Chad told us that last night he announced that he was going to search for some sort of relic that was buried beneath the ground just outside of the city." Luigi said. "Did you ever hear anything about that?"

"Why, no." Toadsworth said. "Why do you ask?"

"I don't know why," Mario said, "but we think that it might be related to what Bowser is trying to do to invade the Mushroom Kingdom."

"Well, that's certainly something to think about." Toadsworth replied. "I can only imagine what that spiky-shelled bastard is up to now. I just hope the princesses are still alive!"

"Same here." Luigi said. "If only we knew where he was hiding, then we might have a chance to save them."

Toadsworth suddenly gasped and became wide-eyed. He could not believe what was coming from Luigi's mouth.

"What are you, nuts?" he asked. "No one can enter Bowser's realm without getting killed or joining his army! The last person to ever try and beat Bowser got thrown into a pool of lava. That was almost twenty years ago!"

"Well, I did manage to save Luigi from him when we were infants!" Mario said. "Doesn't that count?"

"The point, Mario, is that Bowser has gotten much too powerful and now it seems he may get his wish soon."

"What are you talking about, Toadsworth?" Luigi asked. "Are you saying that we should just give up? We can't give up! Our kingdom is on its final leg!"

"I understand." Toadsworth said.

"Which means that we do something about it, or we just let it collapse! Your choice…"

Toadsworth went silent as he pondered the over the comment.

"You boys really care about the princesses, don't you?" he asked.

"Yes." Mario said. "They care about us too."

"Tell you what…" Toadsworth went on, "since you two are willing to sacrifice yourselves for the sake of our kingdom, I'll treat you with a little coinage."

"Oh, but Toadsworth," Luigi said, "you don't have to do that!"

"Yes, but I insist!" he replied. "Here, take these."

Toadsworth reached into his pocket and took out two blue coins. He then gave one to each of the two brothers.

"Why, thank you Toadsworth." Mario said. "I don't know what else to say."

"Don't worry about it." Toadsworth said. "Use it to get yourselves some breakfast; you two look like you're starving!"

From there, Toadsworth got up from the bench and started to walk away from the two brothers, calling out to them: "I wish you two the best of luck!"

"Well, that was sure generous of him!" Luigi said. "I don't know about you, but I'm still rather filled from last night's dinner."

"Me too." Mario said. "Do you think we should wait to get breakfast? It's still rather early."

"I suppose." Luigi said.

"Alright, let's go ask some more people about this 'Lord Crump'." Mario said as they crossed the street. Suddenly, they saw two oddly-dressed female Toads near the Westside Goods shop. The two brothers walked over to them, hoping to get some answers from them.


	25. Part 2, Chapter 3

**3**

"What are you boys doing out so early? You're not looking for any _trouble_ are you?" one of the Toadettes said seductively.

"What do you want from us?" Mario asked the two lady Toads, realizing that they were trying to seduce them.

"The question is, what do you want from _us_?" the other one asked.

"Information." Luigi responded. "What do you know about Lord Crump and his mafia?"

The Toadettes looked at each other with puzzled expressions, realizing that they were dealing with men that were not looking for pleasure.

"I'm afraid we don't know anything about him." said the first Toadette in a rather hesitant manner, as if she were hiding something from the two brothers.

"Hmmm." Mario said. "Are you sure? You might want to rethink that, because I'm sure you two would do anything to get your hands on a couple of human men like us. I mean, how often do you see humans running around here?"

"What the hell are you doing?" Luigi whispered. Mario gave him a serious, yet suggestive look. He immediately understood that Mario was only trying to get information out of the two ladies, but it did not seem to be working.

"Your brother seems to be the quiet type…" said the second Toadette.

"How did you know he was my brother?" Mario asked.

"You two look alike don't you?" the first Toadette responded, as both ladies got closer to Luigi. Luigi became uncomfortable.

"Um. I hate to rain on your parade," Luigi said, "but I only flirt with people of my own kind. And, as a side comment, why the hell would I pay for something that I can do for free?"

The two ladies became silent.

"Now tell us, what do you know about Lord Crump?"

"We don't know anything, unless you have the balls to show us what you've got!" said the second Toadette.

Mario was getting angry and frustrated.

"Listen, you filthy whore!" Mario said. "Pardon my profanity, but I don't care how many, or what kind of men you get lucky with, we're just trying to get information from you two! Who do you work for?"

"Alright, mister. You caught us." said the first Toadette. "We do in fact work for Lord Crump."

"And are you aware that he's trying to find a hidden relic somewhere outside of town?" Mario asked.

"Yes."

"Do you know anything about that and him trying to visit an old friend?" Luigi asked.

"He did mention something about a crystal star that was below the ground." the second Toadette said. "He also said that the very collapse of the Mushroom Kingdom would depend on it."

"Say, you don't think he might be working for Bowser, would he?" Mario asked.

"No one really knows what he does." said the first Toadette. "For all we know, he could be working with Bowser behind everyone's back."

"Hmmm…" Luigi said. "Does Lord Crump have a usual hideout in this town? By the way, we never caught your names."

"I'm Claudia." said the first Toadette. "This is Sheryl. And you guys?"

"I'm Mario, and this is my brother Luigi." Mario said.

"Where have I heard those names before?" Claudia said to herself out loud.

"Aren't you two famous or something?" Sheryl asked.

"Not really." Luigi said.

"Don't give me that!" Claudia said. "Your brother rescued you from Bowser when you were an infant! Your names were also mentioned in this morning's paper!"

"Great, we blew our cover!" Mario said out loud.

"What are you guys running from?" Sheryl asked. "Are you affiliated with the disappearance of the two princesses?"

"Partly." Luigi said. "But it's not for the reason you think. When Bowser invaded the castle last night, we were trying to keep the princesses safe by taking them to our house. But it was right then when Bowser broke into our house and kidnapped the princesses and tried to kill us with a Bob-Omb! Luckily, we managed to escape, but we now have no place to live and pretty much almost no money to keep ourselves fed, plus we aren't exactly dressed the way we want to be."

"So what you're telling me is that you two are trying to save the two princesses from Bowser?" Claudia asked.

"That would be right." Mario said.

"Well, why didn't you guys say so?" Sheryl said. "No wonder you guys wanted information out of us!"

"Sorry for that nasty comment I made to you, Sheryl." Mario said. "I was just frustrated."

"Don't worry buddy. I'm used to it." Sheryl said.

"You guys want to know where Lord Crump is hiding?" Claudia asked. "Well, I'll tell you now. He owns his club called the Trouble Center, which is located in the East Side, but it's heavily guarded by his army of X-Nauts. Not only that, but everyone who dares enter the club is required to give them a secret password in order for them to enter."

"Do you two know the password?" Mario asked.

"No. Only the X-Nauts and members of the Robbo Gang are allowed to know the password."

"Wait a second…" Luigi said. "What's the Robbo Gang?"

"The Robbo Gang is a group of gangsters that has a rivalry with the Pianta Syndicate. There's always violence erupting between the two groups. If I were you, I would try to avoid any them. They will kill you."

"Would they happen to know anything about Lord Crump's new project?" Mario asked.

"You bet, but I highly doubt that if you try talking to any of them that they'll tell you. You could always try eavesdropping on them if you can." Sheryl said.

"How can you tell them apart from other people?" Mario asked.

"_You can't_." Claudia said.

Mario and Luigi gave each other regretful looks, clearly saying to each other: "This is going to be much harder than we thought!"

"Couldn't you just take us into the club?" Luigi asked.

"We would, but we're under strict orders not to bring anyone back with us to the club unless they can get the password right." Sheryl said. "We would tell you, but like we said earlier, we don't know the password."

"Darn." Mario said. "Before we go, can you tell us about Lord Crump's 'old friend'?"

"I wish, but our knowledge is limited there as well." Claudia said. "The only thing we can tell you is that he lives very far from here, as he said last night when he announced that he was looking for a Crystal Star."

"Now that you mention it," Mario said, "I wonder if he was referring to a particular Crystal Star."

"Well, he did say that it was ancient." Sheryl said. "At least a thousand years old."

"That could be a clue." Luigi said. "In my studies of ancient Mushroom Kingdom legends, I've only come across on one instance of a lost relic, or relics, in the shapes of stars that were that old. However, I don't remember the whole legend."

"Hmmm…" Sheryl said.

"Is there a local library close around here that we can go to?" Mario asked.

"Yes. There's one located in the Central Plaza." Claudia said. "You should see it right when you enter the area. It's hard to miss."

"Cool. Thank you!" Mario said. "We should probably get going now. Me and Luigi have yet to get breakfast."

"Well, I'm glad we were able to help!" Sheryl said. "And thank you for helping us."

"How did we help you guys?" Luigi asked.

"We've realized that there are better things that we can do with our lives than hang around a bunch of perverted and desperate men that don't have lives." Claudia said. "I guess it only took some harsh criticism from two rather famous brothers."

"Well, I'm glad you two are making the right choices." Mario said. "What's Lord Crump going to do when he realizes that you two quit your jobs? He isn't going to try and hunt you girls down is he?"

"If he is, then he better do a good job trying to find us!" Sheryl said. "He can't find us where we're going!"

They laughed. As the brothers said goodbye, they rounded the street corner and headed for the nearest restaurant they could find.


	26. Part 2, Chapter 4

**4**

Mario and Luigi walked into a small diner that contained the fresh aroma of bacon and fried eggs. The room was almost empty except for a few early birds that were seen drinking their morning coffee. There were a few Toads and also a few snail people over in the back corner of the diner away from the front entrance. Mario and Luigi did not pay any attention to all of the details, for they were drooling over the scent as they sat down at an empty booth. A waitress came over to their table and took out her tablet.

"Good morning! My name is Barbara, I will be your server today." she said. "Is there anything I can get you boys? You two look like you've had a rough night."

"How much is the special of the day?" Mario said.

"You mean the fried eggs, hash browns, and bacon with a cup of coffee?" Barbara questioned.

"Yes." Mario said.

"It will cost you six gold coins a meal." she said.

"Well…I guess we'll just have the bacon and hash browns." Mario said. "Does that sound okay, Luigi?"

"Yeah." Luigi said.

"Alright boys, I'll have that ready for you in a jiffy." said the waitress, as she ripped the paper from her tablet and made her way to the kitchen. The room became quiet with only the faint clanging of plates echoing throughout the diner. The brothers looked outside and saw the other buildings illuminated by sunlight that was now finally breaking through the early morning cloud cover.

"Well, it's about time the sun started making an appearance!" Luigi said.

"I'm still thinking over what the two lady Toads told us." Mario said. "You know, about Lord Crump's plan to search for a crystal star."

"Yes, brother. I know what you're saying." Luigi said. "What's bothering you?"

"I'm just trying to figure out why he would want to do such a thing." Mario said. "Who is this 'old friend' that he mentioned?"

"Do you think it could be Bowser?" Luigi said.

"I'm not sure. We need to find out more information." Mario replied. "It's only a matter of time before things get worse."

"Do you think we should head over to the library and see if we can find anything related to a crystal star?" Luigi asked.

"We'll do that after we eat." Mario said.

Luigi glanced over and was startled to see one of the snail people in the corner of the room staring at him with a mean glare that hinted with the intent of hurting him. He sensed that the person did not like conversation that he and his brother were having.

"Are you okay, Luigi?" Mario asked. "Is something wrong?"

"No." Luigi quickly responded. "Nothing at all."

Mario turned around and looked over at the snail people, who were having their conversation, as if they never looked over.

"Something has to be bothering you." Mario said. "I can sense it."

"I'm just very suspicious of those people in the corner." Luigi said. "They look like they're up to no good. One of them gave me a death glare."

"Are they members of the Robbo gang?" Mario said. "What do you think?"

"Well, that one got suspicious of us right when we were talking about the crystal star and Lord Crump." Luigi said. "I don't know. Maybe they're just working for Lord Crump."

"Well, if that's the case, then they know the password into the Trouble Center!" Mario said.

"Yes, but we have to be careful!" Luigi said. "Remember, they will kill us."

The brothers saw the snail people get out of their seats and head for the front door to leave the restaurant. Barbara was scolding at them for smoking in the restaurant, which was obviously not allowed.

"Damn!" Mario said. "They left! They may have been our only chance to get the password!"

"How would you get the password if they know that you aren't part of the gang?" Luigi said. "They're not going to tell you."

"Then I guess we never had a chance." Mario said, remembering what the two ladies had told them. "I'll be right back, I have to take a leak."

Mario walked into the empty restroom and went over to the sink to rinse his face with water. The cold water made him feel more revitalized and clean, almost as if he were ridding himself of some unknown sin. He was about to use the nearby urinal when he stopped and noticed something strange on the walls. It was a message that was carved into the wall with a sharp knife. To Mario, the message looked recent. He took a closer look and read the message and was shocked by what it said:

Way to go Bowser!

It's only a matter of time before we start collecting the seven crystal stars to set up a destructive assault on the Mushroom Kingdom. By then, nobody will be able to stop it and the kingdom will be ours!

"Oh my gosh!" Mario said out loud. "This must've been written by one of those snail people that just walked out of the restaurant!"

Mario paused.

"Does that mean that they are part of the Robbo gang? If so, then Lord Crump is obviously working with Bowser! I must tell Luigi!"

Meanwhile, Luigi was sitting at the table all by himself when Barbara the waitress came by with the two breakfast plates.

"There you go, sir!" said the waitress. "Where's your brother?"

"Oh, he'll be back." Luigi said. "He just had to use the restroom. Wait, how did you know that we were brothers?"

"Well, it was kind've obvious." Barbara said. "You two look very much alike. Say, you two don't happen to be the missing brothers that were given permission to marry the kidnapped princesses, are you?"

"Why, yes." Luigi said. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I recognized you guys from the morning paper. Sounds like Bowser tried to kill you guys."

"He did try." Luigi said. "Me and my brother Mario were trying to save the two princesses by taking them back to our house, but Bowser raided us and kidnapped them both. The next thing we knew, we were being strapped by Bowser's Koopa henchmen to a couple of chairs and were left to die in the fiery explosion of a Bob-Omb. Luckily, we managed to escape, but now, we are left with nothing but what we can carry on our backs, that is _if_ we had anything."

"Oh my gosh!" Barbara said. "I'm so sorry about that!"

"That's okay." Luigi said, as a tear started dripping down his cheek. "I'm used to it."

Barbara stood there completely motionless with sorrow for the two brothers.

"I'll tell you what." She said. "I can give you and your brother ten gold coins each, plus a free refill of your drink."

"You don't have to." Luigi said.

"But I insist!" Barbara said. "It would be my pleasure to help you boys out."

"Why, thank you!" Luigi said. "I don't know how to repay you."

"You already have." Barbara said. "You two are the first customers in years that I didn't have to kick out for starting violence and not obeying our no-smoke policy. You have no idea what it's like to come into Rogueport every day and deal with the havoc that stains these filthy streets. I can't thank you guys enough for your kindness and patience!"

"You're welcome." Luigi said. "And thanks again for helping us out!"

"Don't mention it!" Barbara said. "I'll back with your free refill."

"Thank you." Luigi said.

_What is taking Mario so long?_ He thought to himself. Suddenly, he looked over and saw Mario dashing from the men's room back over to the table with a frightened expression on his face.

"What is it?" Luigi asked. "You look like you've seen something."

"I did." Mario said. "There was a message on the wall that was written by one of the snail people we just saw earlier."

"How could you tell?" Luigi asked.

"All snail people have the same distinct writing style." Mario said. "But the message said that it was only a matter of time before the seven crystal stars are located before Bowser can unleash his destructive powers on the Mushroom Kingdom and take it over!"

"That's impossible!" Luigi said. "But at the same time it is…Lord Crump wasn't just looking for a crystal star, he was looking for one of seven! Where are the other six stars?"

"I don't know." Mario said. "But that gives us a very good reason to go to the library now."

"Yeah." Luigi said. "Hurry before your eggs get cold."

Barbara came back to the table and saw that Mario had returned.

"How is everything?"

"Everything is good, thank you!" Mario said.

"Here are those free refills I promised." Barbara said.

Mario gave out a shocked expression.

"Free refills?"

"Yes, Mario." Luigi said. "When you were in the bathroom, Barbara agreed to give us both ten gold coins and free refills of our drinks after hearing about what we went through last night."

"I figured that I could help you guys out." Barbara said. "I couldn't just let you guys suck it up on your own."

"Well, I must thank you so much!" Mario said. "You have no idea what that means to us!"

"You're very welcome!" Barbara said. "I still have one question to ask you guys."

"What's that?" Mario asked.

"Do you guys plan on rescuing the princesses?"

"Well, of course!" Mario said.

"You can't be serious!" Barbara said. "You'll get yourselves killed!"

"We realize that." Mario said. "But I must say that the very fate of this kingdom rests on getting the princesses back to us safely and alive. The death of our king was very catastrophic, but the kidnapping of the princesses will ultimately cause our kingdom to collapse, and that's exactly what Bowser wants. We can't let him destroy our kingdom!"

"Well, I certainly wish you guys the best of luck!" Barbara said. "Everyone in the kingdom will be so proud. I believe in you guys!"

"Thank you so much!" Mario called out as Barbara left the table. "We're going to need it!"


	27. Part 2, Chapter 5

**5**

Princess Peach slowly opened her eyes and saw her new 'home'. She was sealed inside a giant iron cage which was situated in the corner of a larger room made of solid stone and was only lit by a solitary torch. Princess Daisy was lying beside her, still asleep and unaware of their current situation.

"Daisy! Wake up!" Peach said, shaking her.

Daisy slowly began to wake up.

"Uhh…Where are we?"

"I can't say." Peach said. "I'm too scared to think!"

"We must be inside Bowser's castle." Daisy said. "If not the underworld."

"Or both." Peach said.

The two girls immediately got to their feet and glanced around them. The room was also relatively empty and was linked to a bridged hallway that was lit from below by seething red-hot lava. Two Koopa Troopas were seen guarding the giant cage from below, standing in place like a couple of dead statues. They did not seem to pay attention to anything that the two princesses were saying.

"Well, it looks like we're trapped in here for good." Daisy said. "I just hope that Luigi is okay."

"Oh, Mario…" Peach said as she began to pray. "If you can hear me, please save me from this awful place! I won't survive unless you come and rescue me!"

Peach started to cry and Daisy was already getting emotional.

"Hey! Keep it down up there!" one of the Koopa Troopas shouted from below. "Any more of that crying won't get you far at all! Bowser will not tolerate it!"

"Well, Bowser can just suck it up and deal with it on his own!" Daisy said. "After all, it was his idea to capture us!"

"Shut up or I'll make you shut up!" called the other Koopa rudely.

"Didn't you two ever learn any manners?" Peach asked. "That's not how you talk to a lady!"

Suddenly, the two girls heard loud footsteps coming from the hall just beyond the single solitary doorway and saw the dragon-like Bowser pounding his way toward the iron cage. They were terrified.

"Well, well, well. Look who decided to wake up!" Bowser said. "Looks like I won't need to force you two up with my fire power!"

"What do you want, Bowser?" Peach asked. "Why did you take us?"

"Hmm…funny you should ask." Bowser said. "Because I thought you would've been able to figure it out by now."

"We never know what your evil intent is," Daisy said, "besides the fact that you want to take over the Mushroom Kingdom."

"THAT WAS THE ANSWER I WAS LOOKING FOR, STUPID GIRL!" Bowser shouted angrily. "WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU ASK A QUESTION THAT YOU ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER TO, HUH?"

"Maybe just to verify that your answer is correct," Peach said, "people do that all the time in civil court."

"I DIDN'T ASK YOU TO ANSWER THAT!" Bowser said. "QUIT TAKING AWAY MY PRECIOUS TIME! I CAN'T STAND IT WHEN MY TIME GETS WASTED!"

"Then, why are you wasting it right now?" Daisy asked. "Don't tell me you're a hypocrite."

Bowser then slammed the giant cage like a punching bag and caused the princesses to bounce off the inside walls of the barred cage. Both girls slammed their heads against the top of the cage which gave them each a severe bruise.

"Have anything else to say?" Bowser asked. "If you do, I'll be glad to spit fire at you!"

"Please! Please don't hurt us!" Peach asked. "We never did anything to you!"

"Oh, please! Don't give me any of that crap!" Bowser said. "Otherwise, I'll just have to put you out of your misery! You don't want that to happen, do you?"

"Just wait, Bowser!" Daisy shouted. "Mario and Luigi are going to tear you apart when they find us!

"But the thing is Miss Daisy, your lover Luigi and his brother Mario are DEAD! THEY HAVE NO CHANCE OF SAVING YOU GIRLS!"

"What! NO!" Daisy shouted. "This can't be!"

"Oh, but it is!" Bowser said. "There is absolutely nothing that you can do about it! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Daisy started breaking down into tears while Peach also wept and comforted Daisy. Then, she immediately turned to Bowser with an angry glare.

"You should be ashamed of yourself you son of a bitch!" Peach shouted. "Those brothers weren't just lovers to us, THEY WERE OUR FUTURE HUSBANDS! And, to think that you took the life of a possible father and his brother! That is perhaps the most tragic thing that could ever happen to a couple of women like us!"

She wiped away a tear.

"I HOPE THAT YOU, ALONG WITH YOUR ARMY OF KOOPAS, BURN FOR ETERNITY AND PAY FOR TRAGEDIES THAT YOU HAVE CREATED FOR EVERYONE IN THE MUSHROOM KINGDOM THAT HAS FALLEN FOR YOUR EVIL AND CONIVING ENTERPRISE TO TAKE IT OVER!"

Despite Peach's desperate and emotional plea, Bowser seemed unmoved by any of the girls' misery. Instead, he simply decided to torture them even more with his evil words.

"Well, I certainly had no idea that there was a child involved in this!" Bowser said. "Oh well, I'll take very good care of him or her after you two die!"

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Daisy shouted.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have an evil operation to carry out! Goodbye!"

Bowser turned around and started heading back towards the hallway from which he came from.

"You can't do this to us!" Peach cried. "You'll regret it!"

Bowser simply walked away and left the two girls stranded with no one but the rude guards to keep them company, that is if they were ever willing to speak to them…


	28. Part 2, Chapter 6

**6**

"Luigi, I forgot to ask you…" Mario said as the two brothers walked out of the diner and down the now, heavily populated streets, "…when you were in that room with Daisy, did you ever think that you two would go that far with each other?"

"What do you mean?" Luigi asked.

"You know…"

Luigi looked at him with a glare.

"I do believe that is none of your business." Luigi responded, quickly changing the subject back. "Where did the girls say the library was?"

"It's in the central plaza." Mario said. "Follow me; I think I know where to go from here. It shouldn't be too far away."

"If you say so…"

Luigi followed Mario down another dark narrow street that took them to a large circular courtyard filled with local commuters. The morning sun was now making the air around them warm and muggy as the noon hours started to approach. The two brothers, who were still wearing their black tuxedoes, were sweltering in the heat.

"Whoo! It's getting hot out here!" Mario said.

"I guess summer decided to come early this year!" Luigi said, wiping the sweat from his face.

Mario pointed up to a sign that read _Rogueport Public Library_ and the brothers wasted no time in getting inside.

"Ahh…air conditioning!" Mario said as the two brothers walked in. They looked around and saw many tall shelves filled with volumes after volumes of hardback books. At the front desk was an older Goomba with thick glasses reading a book. He noticed the two brothers walking in and lifted his head.

"Hi there!" he said. "It sure is a hot one out there!"

"This must be an all-time record." Luigi said.

"Thank goodness for the air-conditioning!" said the Goomba. The three laughed.

"Well, go ahead and take a look around. If there's anything you need to find in particular, let me know and I'll help you guys find it."

"Alright! Thanks." Mario said.

"Actually, there's something that we need to find." Luigi said. "Do you have any works that describe of seven crystal stars?"

"You mean the seven keys to the thousand year door?" said the Goomba.

"Why, yes!" Luigi said. "I knew what they were; I just couldn't remember exactly what they were called."

"Of course, sir!" said the Goomba. "Right this way…"

The Goomba led the two brothers down towards the back of the library where much of the town's history had been buried. There were old newspaper articles and police records dated back hundreds of years, back when the city was still recovering its monumental destruction. At last, the Goomba stopped in front of a shelf that was pad-locked and guarded by a metal grate door. The brothers were puzzled.

"Um, is there a reason why there is a lock in front of there?" Mario asked out of curiosity.

"It's there because the information contained in here is information that could fall into the wrong hands." said the Goomba. "I had a hunch that you were going to ask that question."

"Really? But…how?"

The Goomba lifted the lock away from its cradle and opened the metal door and pulled away the only book that was kept inside of it. He turned over to the two brothers.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Professor Frankly and I teach over at the University of Goom. I have been researching and looking for the Crystal Stars for several years myself and could never quite figure out why they have been so important to the eyes of so many hopeful beholders. But twenty years ago, I had a hunch that it was not for good intentions."

Frankly stood up and walked over to the other shelf, beside Mario and Luigi.

"I take it that you two are trying to stop Bowser from collecting its power to destroy our society. Am I correct?"

"Yes," Luigi said, "but how did you know?"

"Well, it all started twenty years ago when a young man came to me for the same answers that you two were seeking. He said that his kids had been kidnapped just after their birth by Bowser's armed forces. Not only that, but he also came to me for things he could use to take down Bowser himself and save his children. He said that Bowser was trying to collect the seven stars and use them to annihilate us. I haven't seen him since; he probably died as soon as he stepped foot near Bowser's castle. Poor fellow… you two sort've reminded me of him…"

"That's too bad." Mario said. "But for us it's much more serious. We're trying to save the two princesses…"

"Wait a minute…" Frankly interrupted. "You two were in the newspaper this morning! Mario and Luigi?"

"Yes." Mario said.

"Thank goodness you two are still alive! The whole kingdom is worried sick about you! What are we waiting for? You guys have to go home!"

"If we had a home…" Luigi said.

"Oh…that's right…I'm sorry." Frankly said.

"It's fine." Mario said. "We're just worried about getting the princesses back to us and restoring the kingdom. What kind of things did you give to that man over twenty years ago and will they be of any use to us?"

"I don't think it would be necessary." Frankly said. "I'm not sure I want to get wrapped up in another tragedy…"

"Please!" Luigi said. "It's for the kingdom's sake!"

"SHHHH! Keep your voice down! We're in a library!" Frankly said.

There was a moment's pause, and then the aging Goomba let out a reluctant sigh.

"Alright, fine. You win." Frankly said. "But you must promise not to tell anyone about these things. Right now, they are confidential to the public."

"Well, what are they?" Mario asked.

"Follow me. We're going to my house." Frankly said.

"Where do you live?" Luigi asked.

"The _East Side_." Frankly said. "It's not very far from here."

"Oh, no." Mario said. "That's where Lord Crump is."

"Lord who?" Frankly asked.

"We'll tell you about it later." Luigi said. "It's a long story."

"Well, let's go then. I'll carry the book too."

The three headed to the front door as another librarian came to the front desk.

"Where are you going, Frankly?" the other Goomba asked. "I thought you would run the front desk all day today."

"I'd like to stick around, but I have other business to attend to." Frankly said. "It's urgent."

"Well, can you get back in less than an hour?"

"We'll see. It just depends on how long it will take."

"Well don't be too long!"

With that said. The three friends walked out the door and into the baking sunlight and headed east into the 'forbidden' part of town.


	29. Part 2, Chapter 7

**7**

Meanwhile, behind a nearby dumpster, the three snail people that were in the diner were staring around the corner of the library and watched the two brothers make their way to the east side of town with the strange professor. The sun was beating down upon them, making it difficult for them to cope with the outside. They were snail people after all…

"Are they headed over to the east side, Ishnail?" of the two minor snails asked as their leader looked back over to them.

"They are indeed…"

He looked around the corner again.

"Aren't they the two brothers that were featured in the morning news?" Ishnail asked. "They sure look very similar."

"Yeah. They must be after Bowser!" said the other snail person. "But didn't Bowser order them dead last night?"

"That's right!" Ishnail said in a worried tone. "We must warn Goose and Lord Crump about this!"

"But what if Bowser finds out? He'll try and kill us!"

"Relax, I have this under control." Ishnail quickly remarked. "I know what we can do."

"What's that?"

"_We'll have to kill them ourselves!_"

With that proposition, the three snail people laughed and started to slowly follow the two brothers to the east side of Rogueport.


	30. Part 2, Chapter 8

**8**

Peach and Daisy have been crying since Bowser left them in their cage almost an hour ago. The guards that were watching them in their cage had just recently gone out of the room to take a small break. There was so much going through their minds, it was like they arrived in a foreign country and did not understand anything that was going on around them; but at the same time, they were aware that they were indeed in some foreign country. But most of all, they could not get over the 'fact' that the two brothers they loved were 'dead'.

"I miss Luigi so much!" Daisy said, as she bawled the hardest she had in her life. "He was an angel to me! But now, after all he and his brother had to go through, they just end up dead? WHY MUST THEIR FATE BE SO CRUEL?"

"I know how you feel, Daisy!" Peach said, also bawling herself. "Mario was the most respectable man I have ever known! He and I were the closest couple. And now he's gone! At least you and Luigi made the most of it; I mean, you lost your virginity for crying out loud! Me and Mario never had the chance!"

"Wait a second!" Daisy interrupted. "You mean Mario almost did the same for you as Luigi did for me?"

Peach nodded her head.

"Well, at least now I know that I'm not alone." Daisy said.

"That makes two of us." Peach said, pausing briefly. "I knew you were a bad influence."

Daisy smiled. "Don't start this crap now, Peach!"

The two of them managed a laugh.

"Well, Daisy. Do you think Luigi got you pregnant?"

"Nope." Daisy said. "It was the wrong time…"

"Okay, then…" Peach said. "Too much information there…"

The two princesses stayed silent for a minute until Peach brought something else up.

"So, you're the princess of Sarasaland?"

"If that's what your father said, then I guess I am!" Daisy replied, though she still did not believe it.

"I've been wondering why that kingdom has been so quiet for the past twenty years." Peach said. "I guess they suffered the same problem as the Mushroom Kingdom did, but they could never resolve it."

"That's what I was thinking…" Daisy said. "It never came to my mind during the banquet, but now it's driving me insane! If your father took me in when my father died, why did your father not do anything to save my kingdom?"

"He told us a long time ago that Bowser had invaded the kingdom and drove everyone out. Most of its residents fled over to the Mushroom Kingdom, which resulted in that giant population surge that took place about the time you were born. Now that I think about it, it all relates to you going missing!"

"So we're right then." Daisy said.

"I don't know if it's right, but I do know it's a theory."

"It also surprises me that the Mushroom Kingdom didn't know about it until your dad's funeral." Daisy remarked. "Why do you think your father would keep it secret?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Peach said. "_He was trying to keep you safe_!"

"It all makes sense now!" Daisy said. "Because if your father unwittingly announced my place of birth, Bowser would've come and captured me already, and who knows what else. I'd probably be dead for all we know!"

"I'm just glad that we're still alive and that we ended up in the same cage!" Peach said. "We need to come up with an escape plan."

"There's no way we can escape!" Daisy said. "For one, we don't know exactly where we are. Second, the place is crawling with Bowser's evil henchmen. And third, we're stuck in a cage!"

"Well, let's think outside the cage for a second." Peach said.

"I beg your pardon?" said Daisy.

Peach stood silent for a moment and tried to think of something, but it was no use.

"I can't think of anything," Peach complained, "I just had an interesting thought, but I lost it."

"You'll think of it later, I'm sure." Daisy said.

"Yeah, maybe I'm still a little loopy from last night's horrible occurring." Peach said. "Maybe I should rest for a while."

"I don't know." Daisy said. "Something tells me that is not a good idea…"

Just then, the guards walked back into the large empty room. The two princesses immediately stood up as the two Koopas glared at them with the most suspicious expressions.

"You two are up to something! I know it!" said one of the Koopas.

"No we're not!" Daisy shouted. "We were just talking."

"Who said you girls were allowed to talk?" the other Koopa said. "Don't make us call Bowser down here to straighten you brats up!"

"Hey! That was uncalled for!" Peach said. "Do you talk to your wife that way?"

"Sometimes." said the first Koopa. Peach glared at him furiously.

"You make me sick…" she said when Daisy pulled her back from the metal bars to calm her down.

"Well, at least your sister knows how to follow orders!" said the second Koopa.

"We're not sisters!" Peach yelled.

"Whatever. Just shut up before Bowser sees you like this! Your lives aren't the only ones at risk here…"

_Well, excuse me!_ Peach thought as she and Daisy sat down next to each other in silence, waiting for something, if anything, to happen. The room was completely motionless and quiet…


	31. Part 2, Chapter 9

**9**

The east side of Rogueport did not look very pleasant. The two brothers looked around and saw many houses that had been run down and boarded up with stray pieces of plywood and also sprayed down with graffiti which displayed horrible imagery. The professor had warned them how awful the east side was and that it would be better to not roam the streets unless you were with someone else.

It was just after noon and the sun was beating down on the brothers and professor hard. It was not long ago that Mario noticed storm clouds developing in the west, which had been approaching the city ever since they left the library about fifteen minutes ago. Luigi was panting in the summer heat.

"We're almost there." Professor Frankly called to the two brothers.

"That storm is getting closer!" Mario said. "A little rain would do more than enough to cool this place down. You okay, Luigi?"

"Yeah, I'm alright." He replied, panting and out of breath.

"Well, here we are." Professor Frankly said.

Professor Frankly's house was not what the brothers expected it to look like. It had the only green lawn in the neighborhood and was lined by a beautiful garden full of various flowers in shades of pink, orange, red, and yellow. The house itself was also well-kept. Unlike the other houses, it was not falling apart or covered in graffiti, and it was painted a bright white. Professor Frankly opened the door and let the two brothers inside and into the nice, cool living room.

The inside of the professor's house was very fancy. The living room featured a wooden table in which the top was carved out and replaced by glass. There were a couple of expensive leather couches and there were many shelves that contained many unique artifacts, which were at least half a century old. Beyond the living room was the dining room, which featured a lovely dining set and the entrance to the backyard. To the left of that room was the kitchen, where the countertops were made of black granite.

"Please, sit down." said the professor. "May I offer you two a glass of iced tea? I made it only yesterday."

"Yes, please." Luigi said, wiping the sweat off his face.

The professor went over to the kitchen and poured three glasses of his homemade iced tea and presented each of the brothers with a glass.

"Thanks, professor!" Mario said, taking a large quenching sip.

"Yes, thank you!" Luigi said.

"Any sweetener to add to it?" the professor offered.

"No, thanks." Luigi said.

"So, what's in that book you took from the shelf?" Mario asked.

"In this book, which I wrote myself," said the professor, "is everything you will need to know about the seven crystal stars. You may find this very useful in your quest."

"I'm sure of it!" Mario said, as he took the book and started flipping through the pages. Luigi got up from his spot and started examining the book as well.

"Well, where do we start?" Luigi asked.

"Try the second page." Professor Frankly said. "Most of the stuff in there is just me blabbering."

"Ah! Here we go." Mario said. "According to this, the seven Crystal Stars were created by none other than the Shadow Queen to hold the essence of the heavens to force the entire world to fall under her grasp and become her slaves."

"Now, I remember!" Luigi said.

"There's a lot more." Mario said, reading on. "_Legend has it that the Shadow Queen simply appeared one day and waged war against the city where Rogueport now stands as she began her reign of terror to seize complete control over the entire planet and remake it into her image with the populace as her obedient slaves. The demon completely destroyed the city, slaughtering all who stood in her path with the war itself becoming so violent and chaotic that it would go to be described in legend as a great cataclysm where the earth shook and the skies roared as the world came to a violent end. After an onslaught of attacks, the city eventually sank beneath the depths of the earth, allowing the demonic queen to reshape it into something more to her liking. One quarter of the old city was completely reconstructed to become the Palace of Shadows, which would serve as the queen's main base of operations to direct her plans and affairs from, where the entrance would be what would eventually be known as the Thousand Year-Door_."

"That's it right there!" Luigi exclaimed. "I think I know where this is going!"

"What do you mean?" Mario asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Luigi inquired. "Bowser wants to collect all of the Crystal Stars to take over the universe!"

"I beg your pardon?" Professor Frankly said.

"It's not just the Mushroom Kingdom and the rest of the world that he's after!" Luigi said. "I remember from school that the Crystal Stars are only powerful when they are brought together as one artifact. Since they do possess the essence of the heavens, any villain would certainly want to control it. Bowser is no exception."

Luigi paused.

"Lord Crump is working with Bowser to collect one of the stars! Who knows, they might already possess the other six. But if Bowser does get all seven crystal stars and unites them, he'll unleash a weapon more powerful than anyone could ever imagine…moreso than what lies behind the Thousand-Year Door for sure. Remember it's rumored that the Shadow Queen still lurks behind the door."

"Yes, I know that, Luigi." Mario said. "I don't think that's relevant to what we were originally planning on doing, and that is to save the princesses!"

"Actually, Mario," the professor said, "I think your brother is on to something here!"

"What?"

The professor went over to a mini library shelf that was situated in the corner of the living room and pulled out an older book and handed it over to Mario. He opened it and read the title.

"_The Book of Prophecies_." Mario read out loud.

"It contains every single prediction that were proposed by prophets that ran the kingdom hundreds of years ago." Frankly said. "Most of them were true, including a few of King Toadstool's famous battles against Bowser twenty years ago. It also predicted Bowser's brief invasion of our kingdom ten years ago."

"Yes, but how does this relate to the crystal stars and saving the princesses?" Mario asked. "I'm not seeing the connections at all."

"Open it." Frankly insisted. "Turn to the pages where the red bookmark is. You might find it very interesting."

"Okay." Mario said. "Here, Luigi. You read it."

Luigi rolled his eyes and took the book from Mario's hand and turned the pages until he found a red bookmark situated somewhere in the middle of it. He then examined the text.

"_Out of nowhere, the death of a ruler will spark havoc throughout the nation. In this ruler's legacy, out will come new revelations and fundamental changes to the very foundation of the kingdom for the better._"

"That's referring to King Toadstool, right?" Mario asked. "Because, he made various propositions for the kingdom in his will."

"Precisely." Professor Frankly said. "I just wish he was still alive. I thought he was one of the best rulers that we ever had…"

"He did give women the same payment and rights as men and he raised the kingdom's minimum wage to seven gold coins." Luigi said.

"Yes. Keep reading there's more." Frankly said.

Luigi continued.

"_Despite this great welfare, evil's wrath will grasp the kingdom with its sinister claws and spark havoc across the world. The kingdom will suffer two more losses. A great power that has been locked for millennia will once again be exhumed from its shadowy grave and may fall into the hands of evil itself._"

"There's Bowser!" Mario said. "I assume that the great power is referring to the Seven Crystal Stars."

"It's quite possible." said the professor.

"The two losses?" Luigi questioned. "Could that be Princess Peach and Princess Daisy?"

"It has to be them!" Frankly said. "But wait until you read the next part."

"Oh my gosh!" Luigi said. "Mario take a look at this!"

"What is it?" he asked.

"Just look! Read it out loud!"

Mario took the book from Luigi and started reading the next part which was in surprisingly bold print; almost as if the prophets themselves were certain that it was going to happen:

"_**What evil does not consider will be his ultimate mistake. Hidden among the suffering that this evil will resurrect is a small team of individuals, more than likely related to each other in some way, which will work against the darkness and bring new light to their kingdom. More than likely, there will be a rising of two heroes.**_"

"That's you guys!" professor Frankly said. "I'm certainly convinced that you two will indeed be the ones that will fulfill this prophecy!"

The two brothers could only sit in silence. The words of the book were moaning loudly inside their brains. _A rising of two heroes_. _Two heroes_!

"I hate to say this Luigi," Mario began, "but I think our objective has gotten much more complicated than we anticipated."

"We have a new problem to worry about now." Luigi said. "We have to find out where the Seven Crystals are located, but they've been lost for almost a thousand years! How are we going to locate them in time?"

"Not to worry." said the professor. "I've been able to recover some lost documents and maps that were buried underneath Rogueport where the ruins of the old city still exist. They seem to suggest some surprising information about each of the stars' locations. Unfortunately, those other jerks that run the archeology department managed to let those documents go missing and the information was more than likely given to Bowser by one of his minions. I wouldn't be surprised if Bowser got the information from them."

"Did you write down any notes from the documents?" Mario asked.

"It's in the other book." said the professor. "Just turn to the next page."

Mario picked up the other book about the Crystal Stars and turned the page. It showed a map of the world with red dots representing the locations of the seven stars.

"According to those documents," the professor began, "the seven stars are scattered very far apart from each other, and one of them is buried near Rogueport out in the grasslands that surround it. The people that rid the queen of her awesome power were determined to prevent anyone else from possessing the power, so they took all seven stars and randomly hid them in separate locations around the globe and deliberately hid any other information related to the stars, including the documents that I uncovered."

"That's crazy!" Luigi said, looking at the world map. "Talk about taking a trip around the world! This is going to take us far too long!"

"Is there any way that we can traverse the continent faster?" Mario asked. "I don't think walking alone will get us anywhere."

"I recommend finding a couple of Yoshies that are in good shape." said the professor. "They can help you cut corners and make it across difficult obstacles that would otherwise defeat you. But if you can find something even faster, perhaps some of Bowser's 'go-karts', steal them."

"That shouldn't be too hard…I would think." Mario said. "By the way, professor, were you going to give us the other things that we need to reach Bowser's kingdom?"

"Of course!" Frankly said. "Just follow me to my study."

The professor led the two brothers to a hallway to the right of the dining room and opened the first door on the left. Inside, the walls were lined with built-in bookshelves and were filled completely with many volumes of old encyclopedias and documented works from famous scientists and authors. Near the window, the brothers saw the professor's fancy wooden desk which had elaborate mushroom designs carved into it.

Frankly turned on the small desk lamp and opened the bottom big drawer which contained a small metal safe with a combination lock that pointed upwards. The professor entered the three number combinations and opened it, revealing four golden power stars.

"Power stars!" Luigi said. "Those things are rare!"

"Yes, indeed." said the professor. "But they will help you along your journey by giving you a short burst of energy to help you defeat anyone or anything that gets in your way. It's almost like being invincible for a few seconds."

"That's cool!" Mario said, as the professor gave the stars to him. "Here, Luigi. You take two and I'll take two."

"There's more I need to get you." Frankly said. "Follow me to the kitchen."

The brothers entered the professor's fancy kitchen and watched him open the refrigerator and pull out a bag of mushrooms.

"Mushrooms?" Luigi said.

"These are red and green mushrooms." said the professor. "You will need these."

"Aren't they poisonous?" Mario asked. "Because I was always taught that brightly colored mushrooms were toxic!"

"Yes, but these are the exception!" Frankly said. "There's nothing else like them in the world! They're not wild hallucinogens either!"

"Well, that's good!" Luigi said. "We already had someone offer us his hallucinogens this morning!"

"People tend to do that around here." said the professor. "Anyway, these mushrooms will ensure that you make it to Bowser's realm in one piece. The red mushrooms will give you more strength whenever you get weak. The green mushrooms on the other hand serve as a universal medication for any bodily mishap. They're even good if you get sick!"

"Wow!" Mario said. "Do you by any chance have a rucksack that we can use to put all of this stuff in?"

"Yes!" said the professor. "Let me go get it for you!"

Frankly ran over to his bedroom and grabbed them a small rucksack to store their stuff. Mario first took the power stars and put them in the first compartment, then took the mushrooms and stored them in front.

"You should be set now as far as having the important equipment." Frankly said. "If you do happen to run out of mushrooms, you can find more throughout the world, just be careful not to take any other colored mushrooms!"

"Don't worry, professor." Mario said. "We'll find what we need."

"Excellent!" said the professor. "You can also find fire flowers and ice flowers throughout the world as well."

"What will they do?" Luigi said. "I've always thought they were only good for garden decorations."

"Just wait and see." said the professor. "They call them fire and ice for a reason! Just remember, when you find either of these flowers, rub them in the palm of your hand and they will grant you special abilities!"

"Sounds like we have an exciting adventure ahead of us, Luigi!" Mario said. "Just like that dream I had!"

"Yeah!" Luigi said with a joyful tone.

"Oh, and one more thing…" Professor Frankly said. "Why don't you two get washed up and buy yourselves new outfits! You two look like a couple of dirty penguins with those tuxedoes. I'm sure that's not what you guys plan on wearing during your quest!"

"May we use your shower then?" Mario asked politely.

"I have two showers." said the professor. "Why don't you each use one?"

"Sounds good to me." Luigi said.


	32. Part 2, Chapter 10

**10**

"Wait! You almost forgot to take this with you!" the professor yelled at the two brothers as they went out the door. Frankly handed them the book about the Crystal Stars.

"The pages following the map will tell you more specifically the locations of each of the stars."

"Thanks, professor!" Mario called back to him. "It was very nice meeting you!"

"Yes! Please, come again anytime you like!" said the professor. "You guys are more than welcome! Good luck on your quest!"

"Thank you!" Luigi called out.

…

The professor went back inside and closed the door and the two brothers took off down the street towards the central plaza where they would encounter the closest clothing department store. They looked up and saw the storm clouds touching the afternoon sun as they started moving in closer.

"I never thought that I would be going on such a wild goose chase!" Mario said. "This has never happened to me before."

"I know exactly what you feel." Luigi said with an awful melancholy tone.

"Is something bothering you?" Mario asked his slightly younger brother. "You don't look so good."

"I was just thinking of the two princesses." Luigi said. "The thought of them being tortured to death is depressing! It makes me want to break down and cry because I feel that we were wrong in letting them seek refuge at our now destroyed house."

"But, Luigi." Mario said in a calm voice. "We had no choice. If they stayed behind, Bowser would've found them sooner. Who knows, they could've been dead if it weren't for us. Still, I know how you feel. But if we're going to rescue them and save the world from the Crystal Stars, we have to stay strong. We have to fight until the very end. Does that make sense?"

Luigi suddenly stopped and starred down the street. Mario looked at him strangely.

"What now?" he asked.

"Look." Luigi replied, pointing down the street. Mario turned around and was shocked at what he saw.

"Oh, no." Mario said. "They're the snail people from the restaurant!"

"I know!" Luigi said. "I think they're after us!"

The two brothers stood there as the three snail people went toward them in a fury. They were obviously not in the best mood.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the two brothers who escaped from Bowser's special death surprise!" said the tallest snail person, who was evidently the leader of the small group.

"We have names you know!" Mario replied.

"Oh yeah! Was it Marie and Louise?"

The three snails laughed.

"Mario and Luigi thank you very much!" Luigi said furiously. "Who the hell are you guys supposed to be?"

"I'm Ishnail and these are my associates, whose names are not to be mentioned, because they don't have names." said the lead snail. "We're here to finish off Bowser's little assignment!"

"You can't kill us!" Mario said. "You're not fast enough!"

"Well, just because I'm a snail person you assume that I can't travel very fast?" Ishnail said. "I call that racism."

"You're just lucky I don't have a bucket of salt with me!" Mario responded. "Otherwise, I'd melt all of you into green liquid!"

"Is that so?" Ishnail responded.

"Yes." Mario said. "Anything to protect the Mushroom Kingdom."

The three snails started to laugh hysterically.

"Y…you honestly think…" Ishnail said, as he struggled to control his laughter. "You really think that you and your pipsqueak brother can save the Mushroom Kingdom from Bowser? What kind of mushrooms have you been smoking lately?"

"The invisible kind!" Luigi said.

The three snail people laughed even harder. Mario looked at Luigi with a tiny glare.

"Really, Luigi?" Mario said. "_The Invisible Kind_?"

"Hey! Who said a plumber couldn't have fun?" Luigi asked. "I was just trying to tell them that we never had any!"

Ishnail looked at the two brothers with increasing anger now that he regained his main intent to kill them. He quickly pulled out a knife.

"We don't have time for your silly comedy!" he said. "If Bowser knew you were still alive, he would slit our throats! So, I suggest that you put your hands behind your head and sit on the ground! DO IT NOW!"

The now frightened brothers did as they were told and waited for their fate to be sealed…at least that's what they wanted the snail people to think!

Ishnail brought the knife closer to Luigi.

"I'll get rid of the pipsqueak first!" he announced to the other two snails that were standing behind him.

"Make sure the knife goes through his chest and out the other side!" said one of the associates.

_Why is it always me that has to go first?_ Luigi thought to himself as Ishnail brought the knife up to his neck.

"Well, any last words?" he asked as the blade touched Luigi.

"YEAH!"

In an instant, Ishnail was knocked down as Mario threw a massive punch at the slimy bastard.

"My brother is no pipsqueak! Luigi show them what you've got!"

Luigi immediately got to his feet and saw the other two snails ran toward him to attack. He immediately stepped out of the way and threw a hard kick at one of the associates. He tried to get up, but Luigi was quick to punch him in the face before he himself got hurt. Just then, the other associate jumped at him and had him and pinned to the ground.

"Mario! A little help over here!" he shouted as he tried to escape.

"Not so tough now are you?" said the associate in a mocking tone. He was soon regretting that statement as Mario performed a round-house kick to the associate's head, knocking him unconscious. Suddenly, Ishnail came from behind and kicked his feet, which caused him to land on the hard and stony street.

"Let go of me!" Mario shouted, struggling to get away from the snail's awful grasp. "Who do you work for?"

"You should already know!" Ishnail shouted. "But in case you missed it, I work for Bowser. Although, I technically fall under the ranks of Lord Crump."

"So you're a member of the Robbo gang?" Mario asked. "And Lord Crump is working with Bowser after all?"

"Wait, how did you know about our organization?" Ishnail complained.

"That's not important!" Mario shouted.

"You know what else isn't important? Your life!"

"THINK AGAIN!"

Luigi, who had reached for Ishnail's knife, took the blade and drove it into Ishnail's leg. The snail let out a horrific scream of agony that filled the run-down neighborhood.

"You should try reading the Book of Prophecies!" Luigi shouted. "My brother and I are scheduled to take you down!"

Ishnail fell to the ground as he tried removing the knife from his bloody leg, but Luigi kicked him in the head and knocked him unconscious before he was able to reach.

Luigi smiled.

"_Who's the pipsqueak now_?" he said.

"Thanks, bro." Mario said.

"No. Thank _you_." Luigi said, as he helped his brother back onto his feet. "Where to now?"

"Well, let's go back to the central plaza and find ourselves a new outfit!" Mario said. "Then, we'll get the hell out of here!"

"Sounds like a deal!" Luigi asked. "By the way, are we going to find anything to eat on our quest? I'm already beginning to have a hungry stomach."

"We'll just have to stick to whatever we can find." Mario said. "It might be while before you can have your spaghetti again."

"Alright." Luigi said.

"Now, let's run away from this neighborhood. I can't guarantee that these snails will remain asleep for very long!"

At that moment, the sun was covered up the approaching storm clouds and Rogueport became darker. The two brothers started running down towards the central plaza as streak of lightning lit up the darkened sky. Then, it started to rain…


	33. Part 2, Chapter 11

**11**

Meanwhile, over at the Trouble Center, Lord Crump was busy waiting for the two lady toads to return. They have been gone all day, and he was not very happy about it. It was very unusual that they would just not return as they were asked to do.

As a leader of the X-Nauts, Lord Crump can be described as a bigger fellow, almost round in appearance. He had purple skin and large prominent "devil-horns" that came out of each side of his head. He also sported a red cape and a black shirt with a large diagonal white cross on it. He also wore round glasses and kept his face well-hidden and out of view, making himself into a mysterious figure.

"Where the hell are they?" Lord Crump said, as he paced the troubled facility ran by Goose, a craw who is also affiliated with the Robbo Gang. "Why haven't they returned?"

Then, he realized that Ishnail and the other two snails haven't returned and became even more furious. Just then, Goose came into the room.

"Is something wrong?" he asked as Lord Crump continued pacing the bar area.

"It's been many hours!" Lord Crump complained. "No one has returned yet!"

"Well, it is raining outside." Goose said. "They probably just found somewhere to seek refuge until the rain goes away."

"It shouldn't matter though!" Lord Crump shouted. "Whether it's rain, snow, sleet, or whatever, people that work under my command should have no excuse to arrive at the Trouble Center later than usual!"

Suddenly a flash of lightning was seen and the Trouble Center shook with the thunder that soon followed afterwards. The door suddenly swung open and Lord Crump immediately turned around. He saw the three snail members of the Robbo Gang limping and bleeding with minor to severe injuries. Most shocking of all was the knife in Ishnail's leg.

"Oh my god!" Lord Crump shouted. "What the hell happened to you guys?"

Ishnail tried to answer, but the pain in his leg was too intense.

"Does that look infected to you? OWWWW!" he said.

"Oh yeah…" Lord Crump said. "You haven't answered my question yet."

"It's those brothers!" said one of the other snail people.

"Brothers?"

"You know, the brothers that Bowser set out to kill after they tried taking the princesses away from him! _They're still alive_!"

"What?" Lord Crump said. "I thought Bowser blew them up in a fiery explosion!"

"Apparently, they managed to escape!" said the other nameless snail.

"BASTARDS! Why didn't you stop them?"

"They were all over us! They must know about Bowser's plan already, because they carried a book about the Crystals Stars. And, for some reason, they mentioned the Book of Prophecies."

Lord Crump turned around in frustration, knowing that Bowser had failed in his task to kill the two brothers. The frustrating part was that he did not want to be the one to break the news to Bowser, but it seemed that he had no choice. Then, he was curious.

"Did they say anything about the Book of Prophecies that stood out?" Crump asked.

"I don't think so. Owww." said Ishnail. "All I remember them saying is that they were scheduled to take us down."

"Hmmm…" Lord Crump said as he pondered the thought. "We have to tell Bowser about this!"

"He'll be pissed for sure." Ishnail said.

"Yes, but how else is he going to figure out that those two human brothers are still alive? We don't want to wait until it's too late and him blame us for having his evil plans foiled!"

"I guess you're right Lord Crump." Ishnail said. "Goose! Can you bring up the big monitor so that we may speak to Bowser, please?"

"Why, of course!" Goose replied. "I was already thinking about it."


	34. Part 2, Chapter 12

**12**

The two princesses were now simply napping inside the dark and cold cage they were trapped in. The giant room had been quiet for the past hour or so and nothing seemed to be happening, until Bowser suddenly stormed into the room and was followed by Kamek on his broomstick. The princesses woke up and smelled the aroma of food. They looked and saw Bowser bring them a tray of food, mostly various meat and salad.

"Are you girls hungry?" Bowser asked in his deep voice.

Neither of them replied.

"Hello! I'm asking you a question!" Bowser said. "Answer me!"

"If you really cared about us, you would let us out of this cage to let us get some exercise!" Daisy shouted. "You know what's going to happen if you don't do that!"

"Well, the least I can do is to keep you alive by feeding you food!" Bowser replied. "Besides, how do I know you're not trying to escape? I need you for my evil plan."

"Well, I've already heard enough." Peach said. "You obviously don't care about us!"

"WELL, IF THAT'S HOW YOU FEEL, THEN YOU ONLY HAVE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES TO EAT!" Bowser yelled. "Your time starts now!"

The princesses scrambled for their food, take as much as they possibly could to avoid starving later. Just then, Kamek tapped Bowser's arm.

"Bowser! You have an incoming live transmission!"

"Who could it possibly be this time?" Bowser said as he walked over to what appeared to be a blank wall at the far end of the room. He pressed a button and revealed that the wall was actually an opening door that concealed a giant television monitor. An image appeared on the screen. It was Lord Crump.

"Hello, Lord Crump." Bowser said. "Did you find what I'm looking for yet?"

"No." Lord Crump replied. "I actually wanted to alert you with some disturbing information."

"Don't tell me that our equipment is breaking down on us!" Bowser said. "You know how much all of that machinery cost us!"

"It has nothing to do with our machinery or anything along those lines!" said Lord Crump.

"Okay. I'm listening…"

Lord Crump cleared his throat and started to speak.

"The two brothers that you killed last night…they…"

"What is it you're trying to tell me?" Bowser asked impatiently.

"_They're still alive_!"

Bowser heard these words and immediately turned red with anger.

"THEY ESCAPED? WHY WEREN'T YOU ABLE TO STOP THEM YOU MISERABLE COWARD?"

The two princesses heard these words and immediately started cheering in their cage. They hugged each other and started jumping joyfully into the air.

"They're alive, Daisy! They're alive!" Peach shouted.

"SHUT UP, PRINCESS!" said Bowser, turning his attention back over to Lord Crump. "YOU'RE JUST LUCKY THAT I'M NOT CLOSE TO YOU RIGHT NOW, OR I WOULD'VE TORCHED YOU LIKE THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE FLAMETHROWER!"

"But master! They attacked three members of our Robbo gang while they were out hunting down the two lady toads that I just hired to work as my prostitutes!" Lord Crump protested. "They just came back with minor to severe injuries! They also told me that the two brothers told them about the Book of Prophecies and that they were scheduled to take us down!"

"Hold on just a second!" Kamek shouted to Bowser. "I'll be right back!"

Kamek instantly disappeared using his teleport spell and was quick to return with a copy of the Book of Prophecies. He handed the copy over to Bowser.

"I think I know why they would say that." he said. "Read these lines!"

Bowser took the book from Kamek and examined the lines he pointed out to him. His eyes grew larger.

"Lord Crump! Read this!"

Bowser aimed the book towards the screen so that he could see. He could not believe it either:

_**What evil does not consider will be his ultimate mistake. Hidden among the suffering that this evil will resurrect is a small team of individuals, more than likely related to each other in some way, which will work against the darkness and bring new light to their kingdom. More than likely, there will be a rising of two heroes.**_

__"Do you know what this means?" Bowser asked. "It means that the two brothers are going to try and stop us from unleashing our evil into the world!"

"What are you going to do about it?" Lord Crump asked.

"I don't know, but I can't let anything like this happen! It simply cannot be done!"

Bowser turned away for a second, and then turned back to Lord Crump on the big screen.

"You must hunt them down before they get too far!" Bowser said. "They must be killed once and for all! I'll send in one of my Koopa armies for reinforcement!"

"Yes, sir!" Lord Crump said.

"I must thank you for such a notice!" Bowser said. "I'm glad that you were able to catch it!"

"The pleasure's all mine." Lord Crump replied. "I'll head out as soon as I end this transmission."

"Excellent, that's what I like to hear!" Bowser said. "You shall be rewarded later."

As soon as they said their goodbyes and the screen went black, Bowser pressed the button to close the wall back up and walked over to the princesses.

"Your time is up!" Bowser said. "I hope you girls got enough to eat, because it will be another twenty-four hours before you get another meal! Maybe if you're well-behaved, I'll reduce it to twelve. Got it?"

The princesses said nothing.

"And don't get your hopes up about Mario and Luigi! They won't make it long enough to save you! I have my whole army after them!"

"Wouldn't it be smarter to send out only a fraction of your army at first, and then send out additional reinforcements later?" Daisy asked sarcastically.

"YOU DON'T SEE ME TELLING YOU HOW TO DO YOUR JOB, DO YOU?" Bowser yelled angrily. "WHY DON'T YOU SHUT UP FOR A WHILE? YOU'RE GIVING ME A HEADACHE!"

_Why don't you shut up!_ Daisy thought as Bowser and Kamek started leaving the room.

"BY THE WAY," Bowser mentioned, "I HAVE MORE THAN ONE ARMY! THERE'S NO WAY THAT MARIO OR LUIGI CAN MAKE MAKE IT PAST THEM!"

"See ya! Wouldn't want to be ya!" Kamek teased.

"Shut up, broomstick!" Peach yelled.

Kamek's laughter echoed across the room as the door finally shut behind them and the princesses were left alone once again. Daisy pulled out some food that she had hidden away before Bowser was able to see and shared with Peach, knowing that were not going to starve at all.

"I wonder how long it's going to take before Bowser realized that we took everything off that cart." Daisy said.

"He probably won't realize it at all," Peach said, "maybe he has cooks that wash the dishes for him so he never gets to see how much of the food was taken."

"I don't think he cares." Daisy said. "Because he sure as hell does not care about us!"

The two princesses laughed as they continued feasting on their food.

"I'm so relieved that Mario and Luigi are still alive!" Peach said. "By the looks of it, they did lots of damage to that horrible gang!"

"They're coming to save us, Peach!" Daisy said. "They wouldn't do that for no reason. Do you agree?"

"Yes." Peach said. "I think we definitely made the right choices. At least _they _care about us!"

"What about all the servants back at the castle and every other decent citizen of the Mushroom Kingdom?" Daisy asked.

"Them too," said Peach, "but not as much as Mario and Luigi! I just hope that they don't get killed by Bowser's multiple armies. He certainly has his territory secured."

"That might be the case." Daisy said. "But I know something that they can do that Bowser can't ever dream of doing. It has to do with the fact that they are plumbers."

"What is it, Daisy?" Peach asked.

"They have the ability to travel through large pipes!"

**END OF VOLUME 1**


End file.
